The Art of Nursing

Over the last decade (2016-2025), I reflected on the art of nursing. Why? I have a history of incorporating art into scholarly activities. I also recognize that nursing practice evolves based on best evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values, all of which reflect the art of nursing and emphasize the importance of integrating science with patient preferences. Additionally, observation of nurses focusing on tasks, including electronic health record documentation, makes me wonder if the art of nursing is visible in practice or has it become invisible or absent? Midway through this 10-year timeline, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the nursing profession (2020-2021). This raises questions: What insights can be gleaned from the literature about the art of nursing between 2016 and 2020, compared with the subsequent years (2021-2025)? Were the messages consistent, and does it matter? I reviewed 34 articles using CINAHL, searching for the term “the art of nursing,” limited to the years 2016-2025 articles in Nursing Science Quarterly,1–8 and references to theorists, such as Florence Nightingale, remained constant during this timeframe. However, I noticed an increased focus on arts-based learning and pedagogy during the latter half of the decade.9–14 This observation may reflect a shift in priorities—during the pandemic, nursing centered on survival, leveraging technology, and treatments. As the pandemic subsided, the focus returned to the art of nursing and how we “do” nursing. Following 2020, an understanding of the connectedness between nurse and patient appeared to deepen. Yet, throughout the decade, a central theme persisted—the importance of understanding patients’ needs through the lens of their experiences as foundational to the nurse-patient connection.5,15–18 The nursing metaparadigm’s concept of environment was significantly present in the literature.7,19,20 Notably, there was an increased emphasis on telehealth and telemedicine during the pandemic, reflecting a change in the environment influencing how we connect with patients.1,21 Even amid the chaos of a pandemic, nurses remained present in their environments and embodying the art of nursing. Being present is a therapeutic use of self, as a nurse.19 Nurse presence can be as simple as holding a patient’s hand as they fall asleep or combing the art of balance, juggling tasks and needs; art of listening; and art of dance, moving in and out of the patient room, and healthcare environment.22 Did we lose this art during the pandemic? If the art of nursing equates to effective nursing care,23 does that mean care was ineffective? Absolutely not. Notably, a 2024 article highlighted Walt Whitman’s contributions to nursing during wartime,24 particularly his focus on caring for soldiers’ spirits. According to Strickler, Walt Whitman provided “a voice to personal aspects of nursing care.”24(p47) It is possible that pandemic-era nurses embodied this approach, preserving the art of nursing through chaos and adversity. Storytelling showcases our reflective thoughts and feelings on nursing practice and has always been a key element of nursing,17,25,26 fostering empathy and strengthening connections among nurses and nursing students. The definition of the art of nursing may be elusive,20 and sometimes it seems invisible, but it is ever-present, expressed through caring, communication, and compassion. These 3 “C’s” come together and shape the art of nursing, and as suggested by Pucko and Przybek-Mita,27(p68) “the shape of nursing as art is beauty.” Ultimately, what does the art of nursing mean to us, as nurses, and those we care for? It represents hope18—a timeless and enduring essence of our profession.