The Science and Art of Nursing and their Portrayal in Motion Pictures
Although not mutually exclusive, the art of nursing and the science of nursing are two very distinct parts of the career. While the art of nursing is more abstract, the science leaves a lesser amount of room for interpretation and is by nature more concrete. However, one must possess both qualities to be an exceptional nurse.
Having down the science of nursing is vital. It is what is laid out clearly in nursing classes and in books. It can be mastered through repetition, memorization, and serious studying, and it’s the skills needed to save one’s physical body (in contrast to saving one’s soul). The science of nursing includes obtaining vital signs and administering medications. It is the knowledge of what is incorporated in the scope and standards of practice, and being able to quickly recall and put to use pieces of information on a seconds notice. It is also being able to differentiate the needs of patients of various ages, genders, and stability levels. There is no outstanding nurse who lacks exceptional skills in the science of nursing. This is the basis of the profession; caring for the physical illnesses of patients. However, the science is not all there is to nursing. As Vivian Bearing learned in the movie Wit, “Now is a time for kindness, I thought simply being smart was enough” (Nichols, 2001). And while in many professions around the globe “simply being smart” is enough, nursing requires more, it requires an art.
In contrast to the science of nursing, the art of nursing is something that can’t come through reading a book and absorbing its knowledge. No matter how many times you read and study nursing material you will not perfect the art. It only comes through a passion for not only the career of nursing but a passion for the whole life dedication to
the role. The art of nursing comes with who you are as a person and is unique to each nurse. It is a trait of eliciting feelings of comfort and safety from patients.
Lewis Thomas (1983) idealized this role of nurses…The average person in a large hospital feels at risk of getting lost, with no identity left beyond a name and a string of numbers on a wristband…The attending physician or the house officer, on rounds and usually in a hurry, can murmur a few reassuring words on his way out the door, but it takes a confident, competent, and cheerful nurse there all day long in and out of the room on one chore or another through the night, to bolster one’s confidence that the situation is indeed manageable and not about to get out of hand (67). (Cluff & Binstock, 2001, p. 4)
It is often the nurse that calms the fears of their patients and provides reassurance. Taking the time to get to know the patients as people, rather than just as names on a chart or as diagnoses, is what gives nurses the special touch. It’s true that “taking the time to talk is critical in nursing relationships” (Masters, 2005, p. 195). The ability to talk with a frightened elderly man and alleviate his fears by listening to him tell stories and genuinely care is what makes the art of nursing what it is. It’s about the love of the role and the love of the patients. It’s about making an effort to know your patients even when time doesn’t always allow for it. The art of nursing is the reassuring and comforting communication you have with your patients that builds a trust and a bond between patient and caretaker.
Nursing is about more than just pushing medication. “While illness creates challenging situations, often it is also a time of deep introspection and healing for issues
beyond the actual health challenges” (Koherner, 2000, para. 1). An example of this is displayed in the movie The English Patient. As Count Almasy, a young World War Two plane crash victim, lies on his death bed with serious burns, he flashes back to his past and to a woman that he once loved. He recalls falling in love with Katharine Clifton and reminisces about their relationship. Before the crash he and Katharine become stranded in the desert. He leaves her injured in a cave to go in search of help, however, when he can’t find someone to help he becomes captured and Katharine dies alone in the cave where Count Almasy left her. Count Almasy, known as the English Patient, recalls all of these memories with his nurse by his side. Hana, the nurse, remains with her patient in a relatively deserted war torn area filled with un-detonated bombs so that she can provide him with the care he needs. She listens intently to his stories soaking up more and more knowledge about him and about his past.
Even from the start of the movie Hana displays aspects of the art of nursing. During the war as men are being shipped off in different directions, she turns to her patient and says, “Are you okay? I know you don’t like to be moved.”(Minghella, 1996) This quote shows an interest and care for both her patient’s current needs and emotional status. It also shows that she knows him and knows what he likes and dislikes, and not only that she knows these things but also that she cares about them enough to check in on her patient based on the current situation they found themselves in. This genuine interest that she shows in the beginning of the movie carries through the duration of the film in many ways including her staying behind in dangerous territory to take care of her patient
and spending time with him listening to his stories and reading to him from his book. Hana shows exceptional aspects of the art of nursing.
In contrast to Nurse Hana, Nurse Ratched, from the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, did not exhibit the same strong qualities of the art of nursing. Although her compassion in her style of nursing can not come close to comparing to that of Hana from The English Patient, there was evidence in the movie of her trying to relate to her patients in their therapy sessions. Though many times it is difficult to deal with mentally ill patient Nurse Ratched kept calm (most of the time) and was very patient with the men she worked with.
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest a group of nurses work with 18 mentally challenged men in a mental institution. When Randle McMurphy gets thrown in with them after pretending to be insane to get out of work detail in jail, he tries to liven the place up and pushes many of the nurses to the edge. The head nurse, nurse Ratched, has a special interest on keeping McMurphy in line. Although nurse Ratched seems very harsh at times in the movie, there is evidence that she puts her personal feelings about McMurphy aside and does what she thought is best for him. During a meeting she attended talking about what to do with McMurphy she says that she feels he should stay in the hospital rather than being passed on as someone else’s problem. She states that she thinks they can help him. This shows that despite how much trouble he causes her, she cares about his well being and wants to do what is right to help him whether that means making her life much harder or not.
All of the nurses in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest definitely had a better sense of the science of nursing over the art of nursing. In the mental institution the main role of the nurses, besides nurse Ratched who led therapy session, was to distribute medication. Each day one of the nurses would announce “Med Time” over the loud speaker and all of the patients would gather to the window to get the cup of medication. Although this showed the science of nursing through appropriate medication dosages given each day. I argue the point that these nurses were neither good at the art of nursing nor the science of nursing. When one patient asked, “What’s in this horse pill” the response was, “It’s just medicine, it’s good for you” (Forman, 1976). The science of nursing involves knowing what you are giving patients and being able to explain it to them. The nurses in this movie gave no second thought the medicines they were distributing. In general the nurses could use many more skills in the areas of the art and science of nursing.
Neither The English Patient nor One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest depicted nursing the way that I have always pictured it, however, nurse Hana in The English Patient came significantly closer to my idea of a nurse than the nurses in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. My ideal nurse is one who is knowledgeable and wise. Knowing how to use the knowledge you have is key in the nursing field due to the on the spot decision that often have to be made. Along with knowledge comes the personal and relational aspects of the
Journal Learning 8
job, which is what Nurse Hana displayed quite nicely. Nursing is very much about relating to and communicating with your patients and making them feel comfortable and
confident with their care. In The English Patient, Hana spends ample time with her patient getting to know him very well to a point where they feel very comfortable. Although I realize that while working in a hospital setting it is not practical or realistic to spend such ample time with one patient when you have so many patients to keep track of, I think its necessary to get to know your patients as much as possible during the times you are with them. This is important for several reasons, first, because you build up a trust with you patient that makes them feel comfortable with you, and second, knowing your patient will help you adapt their care to best fit their needs.
Nursing is a career that thrives on balance. A balance somewhere between the art of nursing and the science of nursing lays the exceptional nurse. Both are key to the role and neither can really exist without the other. The science of nursing defines the skills to save the human body from illness and death while the art of nursing deals more with the emotional and spiritual side of the patient, both of which are interconnected. The movies One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The English Patient both portrayed these areas of nursing in very different light. The caring and patient nurse Hana in The English Patient, contrasts the callous and cold nurses of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest. Nursing is balance that each nurse must discover on their own.
References
Cluff, Leighton E. & Binstock, Robert H. (Eds.). (2001). The Lost Art of Caring: A Challenge to Health Care Professionals, Families, Communities, and Society. Maryland: John’s Hopkins University Press.
Forman, Milos (Director), & Douglas, Michael (Producer). (1976). One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest [Motion Picture]. United States: Fantasy Films & N.V. Zvaluw.
Koerner, Joellen. (2000). The Art of Nursing: Creativity is key to redefining the world of health care. Retrieved: September 11, 2007 from the World Wide Web:http://www.nurseweek.com/ednote/00/110600a.asp
Masters, Kathleen. (2005). Role Development in Professional Nursing Practice. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers
Minghella, Anthony (Director). (1996). The English Patient [Motion Picture]. United States: J&M Entertainment, & Miramax Films.Nichols, Mike (Director), & Bosanquet, Simon (Producer). (2001). Wit [Motion Picture]. United States: Avenue Pictures Productions & HBO Films
Although not mutually exclusive, the art of nursing and the science of nursing are two very distinct parts of the career. While the art of nursing is more abstract, the science leaves a lesser amount of room for interpretation and is by nature more concrete. However, one must possess both qualities to be an exceptional nurse.
Having down the science of nursing is vital. It is what is laid out clearly in nursing classes and in books. It can be mastered through repetition, memorization, and serious studying, and it’s the skills needed to save one’s physical body (in contrast to saving one’s soul). The science of nursing includes obtaining vital signs and administering medications. It is the knowledge of what is incorporated in the scope and standards of practice, and being able to quickly recall and put to use pieces of information on a seconds notice. It is also being able to differentiate the needs of patients of various ages, genders, and stability levels. There is no outstanding nurse who lacks exceptional skills in the science of nursing. This is the basis of the profession; caring for the physical illnesses of patients. However, the science is not all there is to nursing. As Vivian Bearing learned in the movie Wit, “Now is a time for kindness, I thought simply being smart was enough” (Nichols, 2001). And while in many professions around the globe “simply being smart” is enough, nursing requires more, it requires an art.
In contrast to the science of nursing, the art of nursing is something that can’t come through reading a book and absorbing its knowledge. No matter how many times you read and study nursing material you will not perfect the art. It only comes through a passion for not only the career of nursing but a passion for the whole life dedication to
the role. The art of nursing comes with who you are as a person and is unique to each nurse. It is a trait of eliciting feelings of comfort and safety from patients.
Lewis Thomas (1983) idealized this role of nurses…The average person in a large hospital feels at risk of getting lost, with no identity left beyond a name and a string of numbers on a wristband…The attending physician or the house officer, on rounds and usually in a hurry, can murmur a few reassuring words on his way out the door, but it takes a confident, competent, and cheerful nurse there all day long in and out of the room on one chore or another through the night, to bolster one’s confidence that the situation is indeed manageable and not about to get out of hand (67). (Cluff & Binstock, 2001, p. 4)
It is often the nurse that calms the fears of their patients and provides reassurance. Taking the time to get to know the patients as people, rather than just as names on a chart or as diagnoses, is what gives nurses the special touch. It’s true that “taking the time to talk is critical in nursing relationships” (Masters, 2005, p. 195). The ability to talk with a frightened elderly man and alleviate his fears by listening to him tell stories and genuinely care is what makes the art of nursing what it is. It’s about the love of the role and the love of the patients. It’s about making an effort to know your patients even when time doesn’t always allow for it. The art of nursing is the reassuring and comforting communication you have with your patients that builds a trust and a bond between patient and caretaker.
Nursing is about more than just pushing medication. “While illness creates challenging situations, often it is also a time of deep introspection and healing for issues
beyond the actual health challenges” (Koherner, 2000, para. 1). An example of this is displayed in the movie The English Patient. As Count Almasy, a young World War Two plane crash victim, lies on his death bed with serious burns, he flashes back to his past and to a woman that he once loved. He recalls falling in love with Katharine Clifton and reminisces about their relationship. Before the crash he and Katharine become stranded in the desert. He leaves her injured in a cave to go in search of help, however, when he can’t find someone to help he becomes captured and Katharine dies alone in the cave where Count Almasy left her. Count Almasy, known as the English Patient, recalls all of these memories with his nurse by his side. Hana, the nurse, remains with her patient in a relatively deserted war torn area filled with un-detonated bombs so that she can provide him with the care he needs. She listens intently to his stories soaking up more and more knowledge about him and about his past.
Even from the start of the movie Hana displays aspects of the art of nursing. During the war as men are being shipped off in different directions, she turns to her patient and says, “Are you okay? I know you don’t like to be moved.”(Minghella, 1996) This quote shows an interest and care for both her patient’s current needs and emotional status. It also shows that she knows him and knows what he likes and dislikes, and not only that she knows these things but also that she cares about them enough to check in on her patient based on the current situation they found themselves in. This genuine interest that she shows in the beginning of the movie carries through the duration of the film in many ways including her staying behind in dangerous territory to take care of her patient
and spending time with him listening to his stories and reading to him from his book. Hana shows exceptional aspects of the art of nursing.
In contrast to Nurse Hana, Nurse Ratched, from the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, did not exhibit the same strong qualities of the art of nursing. Although her compassion in her style of nursing can not come close to comparing to that of Hana from The English Patient, there was evidence in the movie of her trying to relate to her patients in their therapy sessions. Though many times it is difficult to deal with mentally ill patient Nurse Ratched kept calm (most of the time) and was very patient with the men she worked with.
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest a group of nurses work with 18 mentally challenged men in a mental institution. When Randle McMurphy gets thrown in with them after pretending to be insane to get out of work detail in jail, he tries to liven the place up and pushes many of the nurses to the edge. The head nurse, nurse Ratched, has a special interest on keeping McMurphy in line. Although nurse Ratched seems very harsh at times in the movie, there is evidence that she puts her personal feelings about McMurphy aside and does what she thought is best for him. During a meeting she attended talking about what to do with McMurphy she says that she feels he should stay in the hospital rather than being passed on as someone else’s problem. She states that she thinks they can help him. This shows that despite how much trouble he causes her, she cares about his well being and wants to do what is right to help him whether that means making her life much harder or not.
All of the nurses in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest definitely had a better sense of the science of nursing over the art of nursing. In the mental institution the main role of the nurses, besides nurse Ratched who led therapy session, was to distribute medication. Each day one of the nurses would announce “Med Time” over the loud speaker and all of the patients would gather to the window to get the cup of medication. Although this showed the science of nursing through appropriate medication dosages given each day. I argue the point that these nurses were neither good at the art of nursing nor the science of nursing. When one patient asked, “What’s in this horse pill” the response was, “It’s just medicine, it’s good for you” (Forman, 1976). The science of nursing involves knowing what you are giving patients and being able to explain it to them. The nurses in this movie gave no second thought the medicines they were distributing. In general the nurses could use many more skills in the areas of the art and science of nursing.
Neither The English Patient nor One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest depicted nursing the way that I have always pictured it, however, nurse Hana in The English Patient came significantly closer to my idea of a nurse than the nurses in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. My ideal nurse is one who is knowledgeable and wise. Knowing how to use the knowledge you have is key in the nursing field due to the on the spot decision that often have to be made. Along with knowledge comes the personal and relational aspects of the
Journal Learning 8
job, which is what Nurse Hana displayed quite nicely. Nursing is very much about relating to and communicating with your patients and making them feel comfortable and
confident with their care. In The English Patient, Hana spends ample time with her patient getting to know him very well to a point where they feel very comfortable. Although I realize that while working in a hospital setting it is not practical or realistic to spend such ample time with one patient when you have so many patients to keep track of, I think its necessary to get to know your patients as much as possible during the times you are with them. This is important for several reasons, first, because you build up a trust with you patient that makes them feel comfortable with you, and second, knowing your patient will help you adapt their care to best fit their needs.
Nursing is a career that thrives on balance. A balance somewhere between the art of nursing and the science of nursing lays the exceptional nurse. Both are key to the role and neither can really exist without the other. The science of nursing defines the skills to save the human body from illness and death while the art of nursing deals more with the emotional and spiritual side of the patient, both of which are interconnected. The movies One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The English Patient both portrayed these areas of nursing in very different light. The caring and patient nurse Hana in The English Patient, contrasts the callous and cold nurses of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest. Nursing is balance that each nurse must discover on their own.
References
Cluff, Leighton E. & Binstock, Robert H. (Eds.). (2001). The Lost Art of Caring: A Challenge to Health Care Professionals, Families, Communities, and Society. Maryland: John’s Hopkins University Press.
Forman, Milos (Director), & Douglas, Michael (Producer). (1976). One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest [Motion Picture]. United States: Fantasy Films & N.V. Zvaluw.
Koerner, Joellen. (2000). The Art of Nursing: Creativity is key to redefining the world of health care. Retrieved: September 11, 2007 from the World Wide Web:http://www.nurseweek.com/ednote/00/110600a.asp
Masters, Kathleen. (2005). Role Development in Professional Nursing Practice. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers
Minghella, Anthony (Director). (1996). The English Patient [Motion Picture]. United States: J&M Entertainment, & Miramax Films.Nichols, Mike (Director), & Bosanquet, Simon (Producer). (2001). Wit [Motion Picture]. United States: Avenue Pictures Productions & HBO Films
