Critical companionship. Part 2: Using the framework

Abstract

Part 1 presented the critical companionship framework for facilitating experiential learning, with exemplars of expertise. The development and testing of the framework were outlined. In Part 2, we show the framework being used by new critical companions, without educational backgrounds or previous facilitation of learning experience. The reflective accounts of the critical companions not only show how they analysed their work using the framework, but also reveal that these early experiences helped those they were facilitating to unravel their practice and look critically at how they, and others, practise. Some accounts hint at the outcomes for patients and relatives and show how critical companionship became integrated with leadership roles. We conclude that the framework can be useful in helping new critical companions to acquire effective critical companionship skills. In addition, we tentatively suggest that the development of expertise, as demonstrated in Part 1, is likely to take at least five years, unless the individual is already a skilled facilitator.