Nurses' experiences of creating an artistic instrument for their nursing practice and professional development: an arts-informed narrative inquiry

My passion for the arts as a medium motivated me to create an art piece (artistic instrument) to enrich my nursing practice. This inspired me to explore how other nurses experience creating their own artistic instruments and what meaning these held for their nursing practice and professional development. In this arts-informed Narrative Inquiry, two participants engaged in a narrative interview and in the Narrative Reflective Process, an artistic approach to creative reflection. Participants’ stories were re-constructed and analyzed using the Narrative Inquiry three-dimensional space (temporality, sociality, and place), and examined through the theoretical lens of Patterns of Knowing. Findings revealed six narrative threads (empathy, quality of life, communication, power imbalances, and personal as well as professional development) highlighting the importance of person-centered care, the value of reflective practice, and the need for further research exploring the use of arts by healthcare providers across diverse educational and practice based settings.