The VA Storybook Program: Humanizing Care With Nurse Stories.

The Veterans Affairs (VA) Storybook Program was developed to enhance nurse-patient relationships and satisfaction with care. Personal stories about nurses were distributed to patients on a medical/surgical unit. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation data were collected from patients and nurses to capture patients' descriptions of nurses and perceptions of program value. Results show patients describe nurses differently after reading the storybook. Patients were highly satisfied with the program, and interviews suggest the stories fostered connection and developed an atmosphere of trust. Story programs may be an effective, structured approach to enhancing nurse-patient relationships.