A traditional American Indian death ritual: Developing nursing knowledge through aesthetic exposure

The theoretical and practical application of Boykin and Schoenhofer's Nursing as Caring: A Model for Transforming Practice (2001) provided a framework for the exploration of an aesthetic project of quilting, which was undertaken in order to explain the death journey for a cherished mentor of American Indian nursing students. In particular, the nursing situation was used to guide the making of the quilt sampler. Aesthetics nested into the teaching-learning process became another way to help students solidify their professional self-identity as caring persons. This research has implications for the intentional development of studying quilting as an aesthetic way to express valuable lessons learned while caring for patients and telling stories. This idea of quilting opens up a line of enquiry into caring that can be expressed through a new and creative medium.