When I was looking for artistic representation of how nursing is an art, I was thinking about the qualities of a nurse and how they are illustrated continuously in the nursing care process. Nurses are compassionate, team-oriented, helpful, honest, generous, strong, kind, and resilient individuals. These qualities are seen in the actions that their profession requires every day, and without these qualities, they cannot perform their job to the best of their ability.

I found an old picture that I had taken at the top of Cadillac Mountain up in Bar Harbor. It was about 6:30am in the morning on an extremely windy day in October. This picture resonated with me and how nursing is an art because it shows a group of people coming together on the top of a mountain. Amidst the rocky terrain, the freezing temperatures, and the gusts of wind making it difficult to endure, people continued to ascend the mountain to get a glimpse of a stunning sunrise in Maine. Nurses do similar work every day; the conditions are not always ideal, the shifts can be long and laborious, and the journey is not always pleasant. However, the end result is worth these efforts. Helping a patient meet their goal is a successful summit and one worth fighting the elements for.

In the picture, some hikers are standing alone, others are sitting grouped together, and a couple are leaning on each other. This aspect of the picture reminded me of how there are parts of our job that require collaboration, and other times when we need to be able to work autonomously. Without this universal support, some of those hikers may not have made it to the top of the mountain. They may have struggled further down the path, and may have given up. However, with the encouragement and motivation of their peers, they all did their own work and were rewarded with the beautiful sunrise. As a team, nurses work together with the other medical professionals to help their patient, and at times their families, figure out how to reach their goal.

Nursing is an art as it requires many different skills and qualities, which represent the many mediums and methods that an artist will use in creating artwork. Nursing also requires adaptability and critical thinking in order to determine the best course of action to meet the patient’s goal. This picture does not show the full journey of the climb, or how many times one of the climbers may have said “I’m going to turn back, the conditions are too rough.” Other hikers probably empathized with that climber, and let them express their concerns and feelings. They also probably gave them tough love, and told them how they could do it and provided some motivation for them to keep going. This group of hikers were able to overcome their doubts and withstand the difficult circumstances, which is what nurses need to do every day. A nurse’s journey each shift may be arduous and complex, but helping others see the view at the top of their mountain makes the many mountains that we face worth climbing.