Nursing as Art and Science: Balancing Care and Technology

Introduction

The nursing profession has seen a number of changes over the years. When nursing first began, it was mainly an art form aimed at easing the pain of the sick and injured. However, during the past century, nurses have learned not only the art of healing but also how to properly care for wounds and illnesses through scientific measures. It is important to examine nursing as both an art and a science, and to understand how the two combine to define the profession today.

The Art of Nursing

When the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary General Hospital was founded in Portland, Maine, nursing was regarded primarily as an art. The infirmary's nursing school opened in 1891, and its students were taught the importance of having a good bedside manner (Creamer, 2003). This practice has changed in recent times, as many nurses are unable to spend much time with their patients. Many of the school's early graduates feel that "nurses just don't have enough time to practice their art. It takes time to learn that art, but the alumni feel the girls will — as long as they ask questions" (Creamer, 2003).

Nurses have always had a complex relationship with the equipment they use. While perceiving "technology as enhancing both patient care and the scientific and social status of nursing, nurses have long been concerned that nursing not be defined or eroded by technology" (Sandelowski, 1999).

The Science of Nursing

There has consistently been a link between technology and American-trained nurses. Although they may not have considered them technology at the time, nurses have "always used a variety of tools, instruments, and machines — including thermometers and cardiac monitors, enema cans and respirators, and beds and infusion pumps — to appraise, treat, and comfort patients" (Sandelowski, 1999). It is impossible to think of nursing without "these tools of the trade and the techniques, divisions of labor, and social relations surrounding them" (Sandelowski, 1999). Nurses, as well as the American public, associate technology with scientific medicine, and feel that these "devices allow them to vicariously participate in the prestige accorded medicine by virtue of its technology" (Sandelowski, 1999).

Many nursing graduates from the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary have "seen firsthand the advances in technology and medicine" (Creamer, 2003). Corinne Pickett, a graduate from the class of 1953, states: "The technology is mind-boggling. We sterilized all of our equipment, and we don't do that anymore. Today, we throw it away" (Creamer, 2003). Another change she observed is the misuse of technology, particularly regarding antibiotics. Pickett points out that "nurses used to be taught to control infection, but today are relying too much on using antibiotics to control infections" (Creamer, 2003).

In the early 1930s, nurses believed that "good nursing care was not a mere series of procedures strung like beads on the wire of a doctor's orders… [it was] neither just 'rote memory' nor 'mechanical skill'" (Sandelowski, 1999).

Conclusion

Nursing is a delicate balance between art and science. While scientific medicine has seen a number of improvements over the years due to technology, the basic art of nursing has remained unchanged. Patients still need interaction and contact with a caregiver in order to fully benefit from technology today, thus confirming that nursing is a combination of both art and science.