Art Assignment 1

Why This Class?
The correlation between learning and visual arts were already proven way back in the
early childhood education. The preschool learning utilizes pictures through identification of
colors, shapes and texture for expressing, communicating, mediating their thinking, and
engaging in aesthetic exploration. It has been established that visual arts support children to
develop their metacognitive capacities (Probine, 2018). For years, visual art experiences were
already used to improve professional nursing students' observational and communication skills,
and narrative sequencing abilities. This qualitative study of Shapiro, Rucker, and Beck (2006)
found that training the clinical eye and mind were effective in teaching observational and pattern
recognition skills. Over a six-month period, the authors invited 38 third year nursing students
divided into two in small group trainings; one group involving case studies with photographs and
the other, using dance and art. The results were astounding. With further research, the results of
this study strongly suggest that employing a wide range of visual arts methods can bring greater
texture to the process of teaching clinical medicine and help us see a more complete picture of
the patient (Shapiro, et al, 2006).
The second article however, focused more on the perceptual aptitude which is believed to
be a more complex skill essential in nursing practice. Honan et al (2016) assessed 23 graduating
nursing students through the use of pretest–posttest design and evaluated the effectiveness of the
art and music program. Two interventions were made. The visual intervention was done by
spending 3 hours in LA County Gallery of Arts and the grouped students were asked to describe
a certain painting. The second intervention, the auditory phase, consisted of a 3-hour aural
training on pitch, timbre, rhythm, and masking of sounds similar to heart, bowel and breath
sounds. The study revealed that the use of art in a museum improves observational and
assessment abilities, and music training increases auscultative interpretive skills significantly.
I can say that both studies, although different in their approaches, produced similar
results that students in the medical professions can effectively be taught visual observation skills
through the use of any form of art. This will be proven with more studies like that of one
research that stated "Art is a powerful tool for teaching, and this program helped nurses and
doctors become more adept at observation and encouraged them to move away from making
assumptions" (DePaul University, 2015).
I never knew I am going to encounter an Arts Class in nursing until I saw this subject in
the course offerings of my nursing education. As of this writing, I discovered its importance in
the medical field since there is growing evidence to suggest that integrating the arts into nursing
courses can have powerful outcomes. I am optimistic that this class will serve its purpose in
developing my observational and communication skills. I also expect that this class will improve
my critical thinking and decision-making skills through enhanced observation using all my
senses. This will be a useful tool to hone my skills as to how I will view my patient objectively
rather than subjectively.

References
DePaul University. (2015, March 31). Art helps nursing, medical students strengthen observation
skills. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150331175808.htm
Honan, Shealy, Fennie, Duffy, Friedlaender, Del Vecchio. “Looking Is Not Seeing and Listening
Is Not Hearing: A Replication Study with Accelerated BSN students.” Journal of
Professional Nursing, May 2016. Retrieved
from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.05.002
Probine, S. (2018). An introduction to the visual arts in early childhood education. The
Education Hub. https://theeducationhub.org.nz/an-introduction-to-the-visual-arts-in-
early-childhood-education/
Shapiro, J., L. Rucker, and J. Beck. "Training the Clinical Eye and Mind: Using the Arts to
Develop Medical Students' Observational and Pattern Recognition Skills." Medical
Education 3 (2006): 263-268. Retrieved
from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16483329

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Why This Class?

the patient (Shapiro, et al, 2006).

assumptions" (DePaul University, 2015).

rather than subjectively.

skills. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from

Is Not Hearing: A Replication Study with Accelerated BSN students.” Journal of

Professional Nursing, May 2016. Retrieved

Develop Medical Students' Observational and Pattern Recognition Skills." Medical

Education 3 (2006): 263-268. Retrieved

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