Building with Scottish Stone.

Building with Scottish Stone aims to encourage more use of stone sourced from Scotland’s working quarries and to provide a better understanding of those mineralogical properties which give each stone its distinctive quality. The nation’s architectural history is synonymous with the use of natural stone, and the principles of construction developed over generations in response to Scotland’s particular climatic conditions still find relevance today in the design and detailing of new buildings. Equally, an understanding of the ways in which stone is extracted and processed is as fundamental to its contemporary use as having up-to-date knowledge of the continuously changing legislation that affects its specification and procurement. Building with Scottish Stone is a stimulating introduction to these and many other factors to be considered when using this richly-varied and timeless resource in the design of new buildings.

Reflective writing: The student nurse's perspective on reflective writing and poetry writing.

Summary Background Reflective writing is a mandatory part of nurse education but how students develop their skills and use reflection as part of their experiential learning remains relatively unknown. Understanding reflective writing in all forms from the perspective of a student nurse is therefore important. Objectives To explore the use of reflective writing and the use of poetry in pre-registered nursing students. Design A qualitative design was employed to explore reflective writing in pre-registered nursing students. Setting A small university in Scotland. Participants BSc (Hons) Adult and Mental Health Pre-registration Student Nurses. Methods Two focus groups were conducted with 10 student nurses during March 2012. Data was analysed thematically using the framework of McCarthy (1999). Results Students found the process of reflective writing daunting but valued it over time. Current educational methods, such as assessing reflective accounts, often lead to the ‘narrative’ being watered down and the student feeling judged. Despite this, reflection made students feel responsible for their own learning and research on the topic. Some students felt the use of models of reflection constricting, whilst poetry freed up their expression allowing them to demonstrate the compassion for their patient under their care. Conclusions Poetry writing gives students the opportunity for freedom of expression, personal satisfaction and a closer connection with their patients, which the more formal approach to reflective writing did not offer. There is a need for students to have a safe and supportive forum in which to express and have their experiences acknowledged without the fear of being judged.