How can sorrow, grief, determination and hope be presented in the brushstroke of a cancer survivor? Can conversations be understood without a single word spoken between two people? What lessons about health care can be taught through art?
At The University of Texas at Austin, a collaboration between the Blanton Museum of Art and School of Nursing invites students to explore patient and personal care through visual art. This includes students in the school’s Alternate Entry programs, which are designed for students with previous bachelor’s and graduate degrees in other disciplines.
Students are immersed in guided tours and discussions that combine the Blanton’s exhibitions and art installations with course readings and lessons from clinical studies.
“Medicine is not just about diagnosing and treating diseases; it’s about understanding people,” said Spenser Hale, a graduate nursing student in the alternate entry Clinical Nurse Specialist program. “The biggest lesson I’m taking from this experience is a more patient-centered approach with a deeper sense of observation, interpretation and emotional intelligence.”
Ray Williams, director of education and academic affairs at the Blanton, and Siobhán McCusker, senior museum educator for university audiences, meticulously curate unique sessions for students.
“We have a longstanding program for first-year students at Dell Med, and now the opportunity to work with students from the School of Nursing has been inspiring,” Williams said. “Siobhán and I are delighted that they plan to make the museum workshops an ongoing part of the school’s Alternate Entry foundation year curriculum. This spring, we also led a session for undergraduate nursing students exploring women’s health.”
Each of the guided tours overlaps with coursework and lessons iterated in clinical rotations to reinforce foundational principles of care. Some discussions and activities are inward-focused, reflecting that medical professionals must take time for their own wellness to help others. Some are centered around perception, analyzation, communication and empathy — skills that will be put to the test in clinics, hospitals, trauma situations and home care.
MJ Park, a graduate nursing student, recalled several pieces of art that stood out to her — and several that she considered while providing patient care.
In particular, she recalled a discussion led by Williams in which students analyzed a sculpture of a family.
“We essentially got to practice our patient assessment skills as we noted the strain in the father’s muscles, the concern on the mother’s face, and many other small details included in the powerful artwork,” Park said. “Through art analysis, we were able to have an in-depth discussion about access to health care, the hidden struggles of the patients we will be caring for, therapeutic communication, assessment techniques and much more.”
Through art analysis, we were able to have an in-depth discussion about the patients we will be caring for, therapeutic communication, assessment techniques and much more.
Hale also recalled the sculpture of his tour, when Williams directed students to consider the artwork for a few minutes in silence. Afterward, everyone shared one word that came to mind when looking at the statue. He was struck by how everyone could interpret the same piece slightly differently and pick up on various details.
“It made me more aware of how understanding different perspectives through visual narratives can make me a more compassionate health care provider,” he said.
In another activity about observation and assessment, pairs of students were prompted to describe artwork to each other. During the exercise, students took turns closing their eyes while their partner described what they saw. This activity emphasized the importance of making detailed observations and how to accurately and clearly communicate them.
Recalling her experience touring the Blanton during faculty orientation, clinical assistant professor Elesha Roberts also partnered with the museum to enrich her psychiatric mental health course. Roberts found that exposing students to art and asking them to translate it into health care terminology and lessons forced the students to switch their perspectives to the thought process of the artist and subject.
“When they were creating this art, what were they thinking? What were they trying to convey?” she said. “For me, this blends the serious topic of psychiatric or mental health nursing with a creative medium to help students see other perspectives and feel comfortable asking others how they feel and how they view certain topics.”
After their time at the Blanton, the students often change how they approach and interact with patients during clinical rotations, as well as how they document their assessment of findings, participating professors said.
“Take it from a former art analysis skeptic: Go do a guided tour,” Park said. “Not only was it a rich learning opportunity, it is also an excellent form of self-care. I always walk out of the Blanton calmer and happier than when I walk in.”
