Artful Encounters: Using Visual Humanities to Explore Social Complexity in Nursing.

Abstract

Integrating humanities into nursing education can deepen self-understanding, enhance empathy and communication, and strengthen culturally responsive practice. This article describes an innovative partnership between a college of nursing and a major urban art institute designed to encourage nursing faculty and students to explore sociological complexity through facilitated engagement with visual art. Nursing faculty collaborated with the museum's Director of Gallery Activation to offer Civic Wellness workshops, during which participants spent two hours at the museum observing and reflecting on selected artworks. Workshop participation was voluntary and not tied to coursework or job requirements, creating a low-stakes environment for personal and professional growth. Postworkshop surveys captured quantitative outcomes and qualitative reflections. Between July 2024 and March 2025, two workshops engaged 17 participants, with 15 participants (9 students, 5 faculty, and 1 staff) returning postsurveys. Eighty-seven percent reported the workshops cultivated their curiosity and social awareness, and 67% reported an improvement in their perceived ability to provide culturally responsive care after the workshop. Students also noted exposure to new populations and health topics through engaging with artworks depicting diverse cultural contexts and narratives. Feasibility evaluation results suggest that engaging with the humanities can encourage vulnerability, reflection, and empathy, offering learning experiences not easily replicated in traditional nursing curricula. Nursing programs should consider integrating humanities-based partnerships to support personal and professional growth for students and faculty.