Attentive listening: considerations for nurses using the life history method

Abstract

Interpersonal relationships are being progressively replaced by virtual spaces. Listening to others is increasingly difficult. The nursing professional, trained by the biomedical model, besides prioritizing technology and more complex situations, tends to be a passive listener (superficially hearing the other). This article aimed at presenting a theoretical reflection on the importance of attentive listening to the life history method. Data was collected via structured and unstructured interviews in a qualitative research in nursing. Unstructured interviews are capable of obtaining subjective data that enable the researcher to delve into the subjects' reality. Its use in the life history method requires the establishment of a trusting relationship with the interviewee. The research concluded that the narrative in the life history method provides rich information for the recording of experiences in the collective dimension of social groups; it is an important tool in a professional-client relationship. Sensitive listening, effectively, is a soft technology that becomes therapeutic when applied in relationships, care, and research. As human beings researchers and health professionals should exercise listening and silence skills without passing judgement.