When I conduct the Creativity Workshops in healthcare environments, someone never fails to ask me if I’m an art therapist - I am a Registered Nurse and artist. People automatically assume, and understandbly so, one must be an art therapist when working or helping patients wih art. As an artist and nurse, I want to introduce the idea and concept of what the arts can do for patients. Engaging in the creative process, the arts, is healing and should be integrated into healing environments – into hospitals, outpatient treatment
centers, doctors’ offices, the VA, residental centers, long-term care facilities (nursing homes), home care, and hospices.
When you engage in a creativity activity, aka the creative process, you become your own therapist. The therapy (which you facilitate) is to access that space that is intuitive, invisible, intangible, healing, and brings you comfort and pleasure by creating a tangible object. It can be a painting (in my case), a beautiful garden, poetry, a book or journal, a crafted piece of work, a short story, playing music, singing, helping others, drumming – the medium is not important. Whatever you are experiencing or feeling will manifest outwardly in your creative project. Now, this is not to say art therapy is not necessary…it may be for certain individuals who need individualized professional counseling.
So, the question of “Is it art therapy?” still remains unanswered. The answer is “yes”, but not in the traditional sense of the title ‘art therapy.’ The nurse/artist/social worker/physician/creativity facilitator is an advocate of creativity by facilitating and encouraging art-making… the patient is her/his own therapist by willingly engaging in the creative process…the therapy is the actual art-making itself.
From review of the literature, incorporating creativity into nursing’s framework of care is more practical, versatile and non-threatening over other therapeutic models, i.e., therapy. In nursing terms, creative activities can be referred to as “creative nursing interventions.” Traditional psychotherapy may not provide the best approach to working with patients, because most patients do not view themselves as needing psychotherapy. Engaging in the creative process is what facilitates healing at the spiritual, emotional, cognitive and physical levels. In fact, many patients may feel threatened if an arts program is referred to as art therapy. Rather, patients want to gain a sense of control of an unfamiliar environment. (1)
the medical model – a world of scientific and technological breakthroughs to ‘cure’ human conditions – prevailed. And the ‘art’ of healing the sick, utilitzing nature and the arts, and honoring human dignity - lost. However, there is a stirring in healthcare to provide services that are truly patient centered and to focus on multi-dimensional healing. And the concept of integrating nature, creativity and the arts in healthcare are a couple of these services. Other terms for these ‘newer’ services are: complementary therapies, integrative medicine, alternative therapies, etc. But, these therapies are not new…they existed since 
the beginning of time. Both Hippocrates and Florence Nightingale believed in treating patients as multi-dimensional beings by addressing the physical, intellectual, spiritual and emotional realms. They believed in the benefits of nature, lighting and the arts as important components to the healing process.
and my recommendation to offer painting and the visual arts as a healing modality for self-expression of the horrors and psychic wounds of war.
injuries, writing may not be the best arts modality to offer due to nerve damage or loss of neural connections within the brain. This loss of neural connections may lead to many of the symptoms associated with brain injuries. Depending on the location, severity, and rapidness of treatment for traumatic brain injuries, there may be difficulties with the following (in relationship to writing).
reported 56% of those diagnosed with TBI are considered moderate or severe, and 44% mild! Also, some symptoms of TBI overlap with those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). Those in the military are usually young and healthy, and have a good chance to recover from TBI. However, they have been hurt in terrible ways which may complicate and affect their recovery outcome. (1)
experience as a result of TBI, writing may not be the best avenue for self-expression. Painting (and the visual arts) as a creative intervention is a much better choice of medium. Why?
(Wassily Kandinsky 1866-1944, ‘solid green’)
nursing education. By applying the same critical observation skills one uses in examining paintings (or any object) to assessing patients, the healthcare practitioner will pick up more of the subtleties regarding a patient’s condition. However, making an accurate diagnosis is arrived at carefully 
critical care units (past tense in my case) are happy to see patients tranferred to step-down units because we feel we applied our best efforts in getting these patients on the road to recovery…and we did. We stablized their bodies and healed them physically, but researchers are finding out that spending days, weeks or months on life support in the units can bring unexpected, long-lasting undesireable effects.
stress disorder) such as hallucinations, nightmares during sedation, mood disorders, anxiety, shortness of temper and frightening memories - 
bodily trauma, but also psychosocial stressors with pain, inability to communicate, sleep deprivation, feelings of isolation or lonliness, and fear or anxiety being the most common. A review of the literature has shown each of these stressors are associated with decreased immune functioning. (2)
1999 movie “Flawless?” The main character (Robert Deniro) suffers a debilitating stroke and is prescribed to take therapeutic singing lessons for his paralyzed larynx. His music teacher is his gay next-door neighbor. The outcome from taking singing lessons is positive, for relearning and regaining speech AND learning tolerance of different lifestyles.
The therapeutic effects of music is not new news…the method of delivering music, marketing and money needed for these new elaborate systems are. WHO is paying for the high-cost of audio systems fit for concert halls in hospitals? Instead, pay musicians to play in clinical settings. Music is their passion and their presence will help humanize an environment that can be frightening and dehumanizing.
Amenities in Hospitals’ 
families heal? Are there any long-term benefits of hotel-like services for patients? Or have hospitals strayed from their original missions and visions? I believe the latter may be true, i.e., hospitals have lost their original vision of healing the sick in an attempt to gain market share, but at least we’ll be able to attend a cooking class at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital.
Globally, May 12 is designated as International Nurses Day (IND) by the International Council of Nurses.
National Nurses Week focuses on highlighting the diverse ways in which nurses are working to improve health care. From bedside nursing in hospitals and long-term care facilities to research institutions, state and national governments, the nursing profession is meeting the ever expanding health care needs of society. The 1st National Nurse’s Week was observed from October 11-16, 1954. The year marked the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea. In 1994, the American Nurses Association’s Board of Directors designated May 6 – 12 as the official dates to observe National Nurses Week, and established them for all subsequent years. 
Council of Nurses (ICN), there are more than 11 million nurses worldwide providing care in hospitals and rural health centres, schools, workplaces, homes, prisons, war zones and refugee camps.
across the life cycle: pregnant women, infants, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. They are also there for the most vulnerable groups, such as the poor, refugees and displaced persons, street children, and the homeless…it is this element of humanity and caring that sets nurses apart.” Kirsten Stallknecht, president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
know this is also true for millions around the world who are restored to health and comforted in illness by the caring, compassion and expertise of nurses.” ~Christopher Reeve, actor and director
