3.38 Østergaard, K.L., H. Karasti, and J. Simonsen (2016): “Nurses’ Journey Toward Genuine Participation: Becoming and Learning,” in C. Bossen, R.C. Smith, A.M. Kanstrup, L. Huybrechts, J. Vines, and K. Bødker (Eds.) Proceedings of the 14th Participatory Design Conference, August 15-19, 2016, Aarhus, Denmark: Participatory Design in an era of participation, Vol. II, ACM, pp. 57-60.

Abstract

This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on participation in Participatory Design (PD) by drawing on the notion of genuine participation [8]. It clarifies nurses’ empirical journey as one of becoming and learning [1, 6], where they move from being reluctant participants, attending only because management has instructed them to do so, to taking an interest and finding their voices in the design process. In this way, they are ultimately able to engage in genuine and willing participation. The main discussion points in the paper are the transitions in the nurses’ journey toward embracing qualities of genuine participation, the nurse-researcher’s reflections on her facilitation of the process, and collective learning as an integral part of the process.

Keywords: Genuine participation; mutual learning; participatory design.