Photo by Andrea O’Hearn, December 1999
Nursing is considered an art because of the intuitive and creative nature of the practice. For my “Art in Nursing” photo, I chose a personal family photo from when my brother and I were young playing hospital with our cat. This was one of our favorite games to play, we would take the first aid kit out from under the bathroom sink and wrap our pets up in ace bandages and listen to their heart beat with our toy stethoscope. The reason why I chose this photo is because I think it shows the true nature of nursing. The act of caring for others as a nurse can be taught in school, but it is almost always something the nurse has naturally. I grew up watching my dad work as a nurse and I was always in awe of how effortlessly he practiced. He was the one that showed me nursing isn’t just science and facts, but instead it is learning how to interact with all types of individuals, getting creative and making the best of the situation you are in.
Love the photo! The cat looks tolerant, but not quite happy! What a great role model your dad was and I am sure he is thrilled you are becoming a nurse. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Andrea! This is such a cute photo, love to see it. The first thing I wanted to comment on was the fact that you used a photo of yourself instead of a painting or an image of someone else-this made your post so much more personal and I really enjoyed that. I wholeheartedly agree that nursing is about so much more than what we are taught in school. I believe as humans we all (most of us) have the innate ability to help and take care of one another. You look like you’re having so much fun in this picture and I hope you always hold onto that same love and passion as you start your career. Thanks again for sharing!
Andrea, this picture immediately made me smile. This representation of the art of nursing is both raw and shows the foundation of nursing. You are certainly correct in stating that caring is a crucial, innate aspect of nursing and I can see you have this from the photo you have shared. Your interpretation of the “art of nursing” has many similarities to my own. You have also stressed the importance of being able to communicate with patients as a nurse. While I chose to discuss the holistic aspect of nursing in making a point to focus on the individualization of each patient, this would be impossible to do without communication skills. Thanks for sharing Andrea!