Reclaiming The Art and Image
of Nursing:
Participation in Healing
Relationships.
Remembering Our Heritage….
The Art and Science of Caring
Nursing as a Calling
 Pittman
(1985) in her article
“goodbye Florence,” stated that
nurses’ struggle for status has ended
the age of Florence nightingale.
 Could
it be that what nurses need to
gain status is to embrace the visionary
genius of Florence nightingale?
The Use of “Bad Language”..
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Our post modern fear of religiosity has
resulted in a virtual ban on certain words
such as “calling” and “mother” in
connection with nursing image.
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Is the word “calling” synonymous with the
repression of women and the paternalistic
relationship of medicine to nursing?
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Or does it refer to the honor and privilege
of participating in relational caring……?
Language has Great
Significance….Discard with Caution
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A dictionary search of the word “mother”
includes the following definitions…
“A woman who creates, originates, or founds
something.”
“A title for a woman respected for her wisdom.”
“A guiding influence.”
“The most significant example of its kind.”:
“ A woman who holds a position of authority or
responsibility.”
Which Image………..?
A Sacred Trust.

It was Florence Nightingale who created
the “art and science” model of professional
nursing practice and entrusted it to future
generations.
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It is up to the nurses of the 21st Century to
ensure that the art of nursing is not
sacrificed at the altar of the gods of science
and technology, fiscal restraint and
bureaucracy.
The Nurse- A Rare Combination of
Artist, Scientist and Healer.
More than Technical Skills…
Qualities of The Healer……
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Wisdom and Insight.
Love of humanity.
The ability to share another’s pain.
Courage to Offer Hope
Courage to Face the Unknown
Profound compassion.
Presence and Connectedness
Comfort with our own and others’ spirituality
Empowers Others
A Sense of Humour
The Art of Healing Touch…..
A Love of Humanity…….
Courage to Offer Hope……
Courage to Face the
Unknown…
A Sense of Humour……
Caring for the Vulnerable……
Empowering Self and
Others……
Connectedness Brings Mutual
Healing……
Relational Caring Brings Joy to
Those Cared for and the
Carer…
Caring Presence and
Interconnectedness Brings
Hope……
The Heart of Nursing….
The heart of nursing is the caring presence
and connectedness of the nurse, the nurse
as healer, the integration of caring and
healing and the exploration of the meaning
that patients and families attach to sickness
and death.
 Science is in awe of, and places great trust
in its accomplishments. The heart of the
nurse is in awe of the raw courage of the
human spirit and stays to offer healing
when science has failed.

The Art of Being…….

The
courage to
stay when
the limits of
science and
technology
have been
reached
The Mutuality of Caring…
Jean Watson stated that when we include
caring and love into our work, we discover
that nursing is not just a job but a life-giving
and life receiving career for a lifetime of
growth and learning. Watson (2001)
 According to Hall “It is the experience of
caring and the memories of these experiences
which lead to confidence, self-esteem and
energy…..engagement with patients enriches,
protects and empowers the healer.” Hall
(1997)

Engagement with Patients
Enriches, Empowers and
Protects the Healer……..
Caring is an Honor and a
Privilege…….
Nurses have….Confidence,
Self Esteem &Energy…..
Care for Each Other and Have
a Passion for Nursing……
Nursing is…..A Life-Giving and
Life-Receiving Career……
….For A
Lifetime
of
Growth
and
Learning.
References
Hall,
J. (1997). Nurses as wounded healers;the journey to
healing the person and the profession. Australian Journal of
Holistic Nursing,4 (1), 11-16
Pittman,
E (1985). Goodbye Florence, the Nurses’ struggle
for status has ended the age of Florence
Nightingale.Australian society, 8-9
Watson,
J. (2001). Watson’s Caring Theory. Retrieved
October 14th, 2005 from University of Colarado Health
Sciences Center School of Nursing Web Site:
http://alaska.uchsc.edu:8080/caring/content/wct.shtml
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/