An integrative review of humanities-based activities in baccalaureate nursing education

Purpose: The American Association of the Colleges of Nursing has stressed the importance of the liberal arts as a foundation of nursing education that supports the development of clinical reasoning and judgments in their recently updated essentials for professional nursing education. The purpose of this research was to conduct an integrative review of the literature to explore the use of the humanities in baccalaureate nursing programs. Research question: Among undergraduate nursing programs, what types of humanities interventions were used in nursing courses and what were the outcomes of these interventions? Theoretical framework: This research was guided by the Aesthetic Knowing and Knowledge conceptual model by Chinn and Kramer, which is based on the Fundamental Patterns of Knowing in Nursing by Carper. Methods: An integrative review method, as outlined by Whittemore and Knafl, was used for this research. Results: After analysis of 227 titles, 19 studies were selected. Studies used art, literature, music and dance-based interventions. A key theme in examining the use of humanities in nursing education is its connection to aesthetic knowing in nursing. This included moral/ethical comportment, therapeutic use of self and scientific competence, as outlined in the Aesthetic Knowing and Knowledge conceptual model by Chinn and Kramer. Additionally, several other common themes emerged across the studies as nursing students reflected on the impact of the inclusion of humanities in their nursing curricula. Nursing student-recognized benefits included enhanced learning, emotional development, communication and new insights into best nursing practices. Conclusions: Humanities-based interventions are a useful addition to undergraduate nursing education. Future research should use randomized controlled designs to strengthen the body of literature regarding this topic.