Holistic health promotion: putting the art into nurse education.

The role of the arts in health care and health promotion is enjoying belated attention as a way of promoting people's mental health and well-being. Canterbury Christ Church University offers a course which examines how nurses can use the arts to enhance the health care experience for both staff and patients. The Holistic Health Promotion course is compulsory for all final year pre-registration Bachelor degree students in Adult and Child Nursing. The content and process of the course are described, and the findings from the evaluation data are discussed. Through the use of autobiographical literature, active learning in the classroom, visiting speakers and visits within the local community, the course provides a positive learning experience for many students and broadens their perceptions of how to carry out mental, emotional and spiritual health promotion.