Howell, Julia Ann.

This research explored a nurse's experience of creating visual art with patients in clinical settings. The question guiding the study was: What is the experience of creating visual art for a nurse? The aim of this descriptive study was to discover what is the nature of the experience of creating visual art as an aspect of nursing care from a nurse's perspective. Using van Manen's phenomenological approach, a description of the experience of creating visual art with patients occurred. Five essential themes emerged and express this experience. The unity of meaning for the experience is portrayed as A Healing Portrait of the Soul's Journey in Compassionate, Cocreative Relationships of Openness, Human Connectedness and Transformation. Implications for nursing inquiry, practice, and education are discussed.