Title : Nurse as designer: Innovative practice contributing to nursing science
Abstract:
Nurses within contemporary landscapes of care do not recognise themselves as designers, this is despite Florence Nightingale been acknowledged as a leading nurse designer in the 1800s. Acknowledging nurses as designers is now a hidden aspect of everyday nursing practice, which we reveal in this presentation, and the contribution to nursing science that design makes. Nurses engage with creativity and critical thinking to imagine possible solutions in their everyday practice as they encounter unexpected situations with diverse population groups in numerous contexts. An example of nurses as designers is showcased in this presentation, is a case study of Rakiura/Stewart Island, New Zealand. The creation of imaginative resources by nurse learners demonstrates their impact on how to improve identified health issues of related population groups. Problems encountered by nurse learners when they engage with communities and guided by the Community Health Assessment Sustainable Education (CHASE) model, to allow them to release their creativity and curiosity. This is an important skill for problem solving; to plan, develop evidence-based health promotion messages and apply these messages into creative resources which are presented back to the community. All imaginative resources are in alignment with local policy and are approved for wider distribution to the community under Intellectual Property which remains with the nurse learners. This way the resources have a continued life once they have been handed to the community, so the community can progress on with the information and ensure the sustainability of the health promoting resources. Equally important is the engagement by nurse educators to facilitate imaginative approaches to be explored and recognizes this as legitimate components of nursing practice and pedagogy.
Audience take Away Notes:
• This presentation will help the audience reflect on their work and the clients they care for
• This research could offer other faculties an approach in which to expand their research or teaching
• This presentation will offer nurses how apply design thinking principles that can improve nursing practice
• A designer plans, creates and implements and produces a product. The solution may or may not be successful, however it is the ability to develop confidence which further influences risk-taking and creativity which enhances the nurses practice:
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Creative solutions
- Innovative practice
- Evidence-based practice
- Looking at the world differently
- Sustainable practice
