Ytting L1, Breum W2
1University College Copenhagen, Campus Hilleroed, Hilleroed, Denmark, 2University College Copenhagen, Hilleroed, Denmark
Background: This research project is the outcome of a collaborative venture between the Danish Cancer Society and the Physiotherapy Education, University College Copenhagen. Physiotherapy students involved in the project have weekly run parts of training sessions with cancer patients, thus linking palliative rehabilitation training to the basic degree course and creating a common learning space for cancer patients and students.
Purpose: This intervention is called "The Breathing Space”, aiming in this way to incorporate a biopsychosocial and existential approach to cancer patients with a focus on the body, and on the mutual learning process that emerges from interpersonal encounters. The research has great importance as the students normally do not find palliative rehabilitation interesting, but it is a growing work area for physiotherapist.
Methods: The research is an existential phenomenological approach to body, space and learning, and the significance of the bodily awareness expressed in the learning situations created in ´The Breathing Space´. The empirical data is drawn from two focus group interviews with women suffering from cancer (n = 8) and one focus group interview with students (n = 6); both sets of interviews explored how participants had experienced "The Breathing Space" as a space for both gentle bodily awareness and for learning. The qualitative narratives have been analysed with a focus on life as lived in the space we have defined as ´Breathing Space´.
Results: The results of the research shows that in terms of learning, it is important for both participants and students to be involved in "The Breathing Space". The aesthetic learning process provides experiences and perceptions that cancer patients can use in their everyday lives, and students in developing their professional identity.
Cancer patients found that the intimate atmosphere of the “Breathing Space” allowed them to present their own narratives, to embrace their own physical illness.
The “Breathing Space” becomes a space where people can open up and where trouble can be contained; where they can feel free, secure and respected; where they can experience peace and happiness, facing their own condition and helping others.
Conclusion(s): The learning process taken place thus proved meaningful to both cancer patients and students. The cancer patients felt that their presence facilitated the students´ learning process and understanding of rehabilitation. The students felt that their presence was meaningful, as "The Breathing Space" provided them with a wide range of insights into people´s lives and illnesses.
"The Breathing Space" turned out to be the locus of aesthetic experiences that both cancer patients and students could make use of in their own lives.
Implications: The students felt that "The Breathing Space" enriched their own learning process and the desire to be involved in palliative rehabilitative training in the future. Starting from a position of seeing the body as an object of sense perceptions provided them with a more nuanced understanding of the human body.
Keywords: Body, qualitative research, palliative rehabilitation
Funding acknowledgements: University College Copenhagen
Purpose: This intervention is called "The Breathing Space”, aiming in this way to incorporate a biopsychosocial and existential approach to cancer patients with a focus on the body, and on the mutual learning process that emerges from interpersonal encounters. The research has great importance as the students normally do not find palliative rehabilitation interesting, but it is a growing work area for physiotherapist.
Methods: The research is an existential phenomenological approach to body, space and learning, and the significance of the bodily awareness expressed in the learning situations created in ´The Breathing Space´. The empirical data is drawn from two focus group interviews with women suffering from cancer (n = 8) and one focus group interview with students (n = 6); both sets of interviews explored how participants had experienced "The Breathing Space" as a space for both gentle bodily awareness and for learning. The qualitative narratives have been analysed with a focus on life as lived in the space we have defined as ´Breathing Space´.
Results: The results of the research shows that in terms of learning, it is important for both participants and students to be involved in "The Breathing Space". The aesthetic learning process provides experiences and perceptions that cancer patients can use in their everyday lives, and students in developing their professional identity.
Cancer patients found that the intimate atmosphere of the “Breathing Space” allowed them to present their own narratives, to embrace their own physical illness.
The “Breathing Space” becomes a space where people can open up and where trouble can be contained; where they can feel free, secure and respected; where they can experience peace and happiness, facing their own condition and helping others.
Conclusion(s): The learning process taken place thus proved meaningful to both cancer patients and students. The cancer patients felt that their presence facilitated the students´ learning process and understanding of rehabilitation. The students felt that their presence was meaningful, as "The Breathing Space" provided them with a wide range of insights into people´s lives and illnesses.
"The Breathing Space" turned out to be the locus of aesthetic experiences that both cancer patients and students could make use of in their own lives.
Implications: The students felt that "The Breathing Space" enriched their own learning process and the desire to be involved in palliative rehabilitative training in the future. Starting from a position of seeing the body as an object of sense perceptions provided them with a more nuanced understanding of the human body.
Keywords: Body, qualitative research, palliative rehabilitation
Funding acknowledgements: University College Copenhagen
Topic: Education: methods of teaching & learning; Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing; Research methodology & knowledge translation
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: University College Copenhagen
Ethics committee: Local committee
Reason not required: Developing educational practice
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
