Week 1: Two Cultures
Ever since I was younger, I grew up being taught to draw a line between scientific exploration and self-exploration, between intellectual pursuits and artistic expression, between the expansion of knowledge and the expansion of creativity, between science and art. Similar to Snow’s opinion, I can see how culture and society has widened the chasm between natural scientists and literary intellectuals. As a nursing major, I struggle to navigate through maze of figuring out if my profession is science or art. Let me shine some light on this topic.
On one hand, the studious labors of a nursing school education primarily consists of physiology, anatomy, chemistry, biology, and physics of body mechanics. Tests and research papers increase knowledge and the depth at which the normal functions of the human body can be explained. Memorizing normal lab values of the human chemical makeup and the pharmacology of which drugs would be appropriate to administer boil nurses down to natural scientists.
Yet, on the other hand, nursing is more than regurgitating the proper response to each patient’s physical needs. You see, nursing is considered to take a holistic approach, viewing patients more than a diagnosis to cure but a human being in need to care. The art of nursing is one of therapeutic communication, patient advocacy, and emotional support. There is art in communication, art in caring, and a deep-rooted art in re-kindling the beauty of humanity.
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| Is nursing a science or art? |
So what does that make the nurse? A scientist? An artist?
However, the present day, this chasm between science and art is gradually being bridged by technological advances. The communication offered from technology slowly erases the line in which I was told to draw when I was younger. Even now, technology advance the practices of nursing by providing improvement to the quality of care by scientific inventions such as intermittent pneumatic compression devices to prevent the development of deep vein thrombi and medication scanners to prevent medication mix-ups.
I am hoping through further research and education from this class, I will have a better grasp of the inner workings of science, art, and technology and how it plays a role in daily life. In fact, I hope it will train me into better nurse who no longer compartmentalizes her educational experiences but can merge it together as technology is merging art and science together.
I am hoping through further research and education from this class, I will have a better grasp of the inner workings of science, art, and technology and how it plays a role in daily life. In fact, I hope it will train me into better nurse who no longer compartmentalizes her educational experiences but can merge it together as technology is merging art and science together.
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| Bridging the gap between science and art |
Resources:
Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.
Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures: And a Second Look. N.p.: n.p., 1963. Print.
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print.
Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." The Third Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. Feb. 1998
Shchutska, Iya. Nursing art and science. N.p., 2016. Web. 7 April. 2018. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5taKhbuN3g>.
Rebekah, I think you are completely right that there is an art and science included in everything that we do. In your case being a nursing major involves also art in the way that you take care of a patient. Not everything would be science in nursing because it would be like loosing part of your humanity in not expressing passion for taking care of a patient as you compare what art and science have to do with nursing. I volunteer at the hospital and a lot of nurses I notice use art in the way they treat and care for their patients. If you go into the children's hospital art is most definitely present along those walls and not only nurses make it part of their job to use art, but doctors as well. I agree with you entirely that we should bridge science and art because even though they are so different they go very well together.
ReplyDeleteI don't know anyone that's a nursing major, so your blog post was actually very interesting to read. I love how you recognized and revealed the artistic aspect of something very scientific, like nursing. I, too, was taught to draw the line when I was younger. But I agree with you on the notion that it is imperative for us to really learn to merge these two concepts together in order to have a comprehensive approach to anything we're doing. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your view on nursing and how it essentially a culmination of science and technology with the necessary aspect of art that is in patient care. I believe this very stance can be extended to other health professions, like a physician, physical therapist, or clinical psychologist. As someone who has aspirations to be a physical therapist, I can relate to your specific thoughts on being a nurse. I believe that as a physical therapist it not only requires the science & technology (anatomy, biomechanics, modalities, etc.), but also the art that comes with patient care. (communication, care, compassion, etc.).
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