Opinions of Nursing Students on the Art of Nursing: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Nursing is commonly accepted as a science and an art. Aim: To determine the degree to which nursing students perceived the artistic aspects of nursing. Methodology: A qualitative approach was used and the study conducted at the Health Sciences Faculty, and Nursing Department (n=54). The instrument of data collection consisted of two parts, the first one questions regarding the sociodemographic characteristics of the students and the second part a semi-structured interview form with questions targeting to elicit information on the students perception of the artistic aspects of nursing. The interviews were conducted face-to-face using an in-depth interviewing technique and content analysis was used data analysis. Result: The average age of the students was 19.35±1.2. The data analysis resulted to three themes: interaction, professional values and using professional knowledge. Some of the students stated that applying the knowledge obtained through science to patient care defines the artistic aspect of nursing. Conclusion: In nursing education, a variety of art forms, such as drama, literature, music, and painting, could be used to help students grasp the significance of certain topics, such as human emotions, as they relate to nursing.