Art and Nursing

This is a painting done by Carol Suzanne called “Mended Broken Heart of Gold”. This painting really resonates with me on how nursing is an art in many ways which is why I chose it. As a nurse we dedicate our careers to caring for the whole patient, where ‘whole patient’ is truly the key word. Yes, we heal them physically which is the priority of our jobs, but we also have the responsibility to heal them emotionally as well. We are explicitly taught to have empathy, to be kind and understanding, and to have consideration for what our patient and their family might be going through. Often patients and loved ones sit in the hospital beds feeling disparity or sadness. Maybe a patient just got told that their baby will not make it through the night. Maybe a patient is recovering from an opiod addiction and cannot have Fentanyl after their surgery. Maybe the patient’s family member has been up for 48 hours unable to sleep because they are too concerned for their loved ones well being. All of these things are just 3 of the hundreds of thousands of feelings that our patients go through when they enter a healthcare facility. Sadness, pain, and worry. This is where a nurse steps in. It is my job, as a nurse, to heal them beyond the physical aspect. I fully believe it is my duty to mend their broken hearts. So I will hold their hand and let them cry on my shoulder, I will make them laugh to distract them from the pain they are experiencing, and I will get the father a cup of coffee and a blanket to make him feel more comfortable. Like this heart getting carefully put back together, I will also help my patients get back together, physically and emotionally.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=YEkmsqLz&id=A1F2D0AA992468BE6EE474EB66C89C0F2BF17CF6&thid=OIP.YEkmsqLzw2HXWfMBiA848gHaHZ&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fimages.fineartamerica.com%2fimages-medium-large-5%2f2-mendedbroken-heart-of-gold-carol-suzanne-niebuhr.jpg&exph=899&expw=900&q=paintings+of+hearts&simid=608055356603960833&ck=0DF26323FCFEAB702F3B073FE8BA036A&selectedIndex=38&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0

4 thoughts on “Art and Nursing”

  1. Jennie-

    I truly loved the image you chose and the meaning behind it. I also loved reading your thoughts on art in nursing because we focused on different topics entirely. I focused mine on the physcial aspect of the patient with the idea that no matter who we are as individuals, underneath we are all the same. I liked how you took a different approach to the topic. Instead you focused on the emotional connection to the patient. That it is not just about giving a patient medicine and sending them on their way but being present and emotionally avaible to someone who could have just received the worse news of their life. You can’t teach someone to be compassionate but someone who is able to take initative and know when their patient needs them, is truly one of the bests. Being there to hold their hand and mend their broken hearts as you put it, is just as important as providing care. Though we focused on different aspects of nursing for the assignment I thought you did a really nice job connecting your art to nursing!

  2. Jennie, I love the way you related this piece to nursing but I also just loved the piece in general. Right when I saw it, I had my own thoughts about how it relates. We shared similar ideas as I also spoke about the non physical part of nursing and how it is not always about numbers and being smart. Just as we both mentioned, we spend a lot of our time being someone who our patients can lean on. In addition, In addition was the idea that some patients are receiving exciting news, while for others, it is the opposite. Something that came to mind when I saw your piece of art was the color choice which is something I talked about for my own. The dark background contrasted with the bright yellow heart. I feel as though yellow represents happiness that comes along with working as a nurse and/or the news some patients are receiving. In contrast, the dark, cool colors in the background could represent the patients who may be receiving sad news. Overall, great work, and again, I love the piece of art you chose and think it worked really well for this assignment.

  3. Jennie’s choice of artwork depicts nursing in a variety of ways as she had stated. One thing that stood out to me the most was how she stated that nursing is caring for the “whole patient.” The whole patient can involve the patient, their spiritual needs, family, and so many other aspects that by taking care of each aspect of the patient can prove to be beneficial overall as Jennie had stated. Overall, Jennie was clearly able to relate this artwork to nursing in a variety of meaningful ways. A few things that were similar to my image that I had chosen was how we both discussed the need to heal not only the patient, but their family as well. Sometimes if the patient’s family is suffering then they too will suffer and have a more difficult healing process then planned. One other thing that was similar to in each of our choices of artwork was just how nurses are taught things continuously, and ultimately this knowledge is then passed down from generation to generation.

  4. Jennie, what a beautiful discussion of nursing! It’s a great photo (thanks for giving the artist credit) and a wonderful interpretation of the art of nursing. Very nice work indeed and I can see that your peers agress.

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