I was asked interesting questions, and my answers I thought would make an interesting article. It makes one take pause and look at why we become nurses. Is it the art--which means the physical and compassionate part of nursing, or the science which is the data and evidence based practice part of nursing. Can the 2 intertwine? Are they in direct opposition to each other? What is the definition of nursing as an art and a science? How would you explain them? Give some examples--do you practice artfully, scientifically or a nice blend of both? Which is more important? Is their one more important than the other?
NursesGeneral NursingArticle
If I were to explain the difference between the art and science of nursing, I would say that it is having a patient trust that you are going to take all of the aspects of their process seriously. That you are compassionate, fulfill their emotional needs and wishes, and explain their plan of care in a way that they are going to understand. It is about being responsive, putting one's self in the background and focus solely on how you are going to put a plan of care into action. That if you don't know, you know who to ask or where to find the answer. The expectation is that as a nurse, I wouldn't tell them anything that I did not know, that was not true, or substandard. The art of nursing is the qualities that you set for your patient that you enact, it is your nursing character, your nursing reputation. People come to us from every walk of life. You could have 1 patient who is a VIP, and one who is dying of AIDS(
The science of nursing is the number sand the results. What is wrong with your patient? Why are they ]here? What information do you have to support your plan of care? What are subtle changes in condition that are important? When do you need to respond with help, an extra set of eyes, when does the doctor need to come? Can you anticipate needs based on the numbers and the results? Evidence based practice.
Examples:
I have been a nurse for a long time. I have seen hospice patients who were life long friends die under my watch. My friend's parents, my parent's friends. A jokester or two that would be laughingall the way to the light. I find that I am drawn to and have a giftfor what some could consider "undesirables". The mentally ill, the addicts, the alcoholics. Patients who are actively dying. The HIV/Hep C patients. I have held hand, listened to secrets and dreams and always say I hold them in my heart and in my head. I have shed a tear or two. But how I can sleep at night is knowing that patients know I have their backs. That their plan of care I think over carefully, and explain mindfully. It is the knowledge that I have my patient's trust. They may not like it, but they know that I am working for them, not the other way around. I am a nurse because it is my calling. And that mindset is what makes me a strong advocate for the art of nursing.
The science of nursing is a bit more of data based observations. I always say I have a bunch of "useless information" in my head. Such is the life of a small town nurse in a tiny hospital. I know that Mrs. So and So can't breathe, it is Passover and she had brisket. We need to get a BNP. That Mr. So and So has been traveling and hasn't had his lasix probably, as it is far too much work to have to urinate that much. That Mrs. X needs VNA to do her pills,as she is taking FAR too much coumadin. But with all that being said, I am learned in making a general impression based on the results of lab work, x-rays. I have honed my craft so that I have learned how to start that hard stick,how to put in a crudet catheter, and how to get that NG tube in. I know what requires and immediate call to the doctor. I know my medications, and what each one does, what it can do, and to make sure I explain all of it correctly. It is putting the objective information with the subjective to make a plan.
Which is more important is a difficult question to answer, as one is nothing without the other. A well rounded nurse is one who can weigh both equally. Often, you need the art to even get to the science. We have a very unique patient population, we see a number of the same patient soften. Critical thinking on your feet is a must, and that is both art and science. Science is not worth the paper it is printed on if your patient doesn't trust in your instincts, your actions or your words which is an art. But you need the science to back it up to obtain the patient goal you are seeking.
