Blending the fine arts with the art of nursing through visual thinking strategies, VTS, has been proven to increase observation skills, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills among nursing students. Use of the visual arts is very effective in improving the students’ most valued skills and is a powerful and invigorating teaching tool.
Who Nursing students, Instructor Eliza Smith, Museum Curator Patricia Tomlinson
When Tuesday, Dec. 5, 1:30-3 p.m.
Where Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
Nursing students from the College of Central Florida are visiting the Appleton’s art exhibition “Mysteries of the Amazon” by Pablo Amaringo and his students. The students are being challenged to view several pieces of art and discover the concepts they have been taught this semester. Concepts such as mobility, oxygenation, perfusion, elimination, infection, metabolism, fluids, and electrolytes.
The VTS approach allows the students to think freely knowing there are no wrong answers. Students have identified many of the concepts; one student identified harmony in the art and felt it was fluids and electrolytes as there needs to be a harmony of these elements within the body. Many students identified the concepts of mobility, oxygenation, perfusion, and infection. Students have enjoyed the assignment and felt that their observation skills along with critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills were all challenged in a very unique and exciting way. They highly recommend a continuation of this collaborative activity with the Appleton and the nursing program.