Perceptions of the Acceptability and Practicality of a Creative Learning Collaboration Between Nursing and Creative...

The aim of this descriptive, qualitative study was to explore stakeholders' perceptions of the acceptability and practicality of implementing a peer-to-peer creative learning collaboration between nursing and creative arts students.

Data were collected via in-person, separate focus groups with students and staff and were analysed thematically. Convenience sampling was used to attract students, while purposive sampling was used to attract staff. Ethical approval was granted by the host university.

An exploratory qualitative design was used, adopting a stakeholder-focused approach with perspectives captured from students and teaching staff and interpreted using thematic analysis.

Staff participants expressed that if the Pragmatics of Implementation (Theme 1) could be overcome, the proposed learning and teaching collaboration would provide the opportunity for students in both schools to further Develop Their Communication Skills (Theme 2) and Reflective Practice (Theme 3), vital for Graduate, Professional Practice (Theme 4). The student participants focused on the importance of Communication (Theme 1) in the student-to-student collaborations. If the Pragmatics of Implementation (Theme 2) were addressed there would be Benefits (Theme 3) for students from both disciplines. A peer-to-peer collaboration would need to respond to different priorities and expected outcomes from the respective disciplines. Students enrolling in an opportunity to learn from and with their peers need to be able to negotiate priorities, while staff need to work with colleagues from different disciplines. A collaborative assessment may provide this opportunity. There is potential benefit in an interdisciplinary peer-to-peer learning setting to demonstrate reflection and improve collaboration. Students and staff are interested in and curious about the opportunity to try something new.

An interdisciplinary collaboration between nursing and creative arts students may support the development of graduate capabilities relevant to professional practice, particularly communication, reflective practice, perspective-taking, and relationship-building. For nursing education, such collaborations may provide an alternative approach to developing communication and reflective skills, including opportunities for students to communicate clinical experiences in accessible language and reflect more deeply on practice experiences. These capabilities may have relevance to nursing practice and patient care by supporting communication beyond professional jargon and greater awareness of patients perspectives. No patient or public contribution.