Page 15 - Laker Connection Fall 2016

by: Erin Fender
“Typically, students go into nursing because they want to ‘do skills or tasks.’ They get excited when they can become competent at performing tasks. They really don’t get excited about learning esoteric theories. It is a rare student particularly at the undergraduate level who truly falls in love with nursing theory. That is why allowing them to use their creative ability to engage with theory increases the chance that they will find the experience more enjoyable and not dull and dry.”
How it all began
Coauthored with Kathy Sitzman of East Carolina University, the textbook uses art to teach nurses the often-intimidating task of learning nineteen nursing theories. Eichelberger and Sitzman open a creative side to nursing theory - one that makes learning a little less difficult, and a lot more creative.
Many years ago, Dr. Eichelberger began managing a now popular international nursing theory website through which she met her coauthor, Sitzman. Her ultimate goal for the website is to help others interested in nursing theory have accessibility to research, synopsis, and reference materials.
“I was sitting in my faculty office in the old Business and Health Science Building (now know as the Natural and Behavioral Sciences Building) when the phone rang and it was Kathy Sitzman. She introduced herself as a teacher of nursing theory and a user of my theory website. She told me that she had an idea for a nursing textbook and wanted to see if I would like to work with her. You could say the rest is history! It all began from there. We actually began collaborating in about 2002 and did not meet in person until 2010 when our 2nd edition was published,” says Eichelberger.
Throughout the textbook, the authors tie together creative concepts such as Mandala Art and Pointillism to nursing theories. The book is sectioned into six parts, with each starting with the introduction of envisioning theories through art followed by chapters
or some, sitting down with a text heavy book trying to dive deep into multiple theories, learning their intricacies and how they apply
to their educational and career path can be quite daunting.
Now imagine sitting down with a textbook that illuminates nursing theory with a bright imaginative artistic approach. Imagine the impact on a student receiving hands-on, creative instruction to understanding and applying such deep theory.
Clayton State’s own Dr. Lisa Eichelberger, Dean of the College of Health, introduced this type of innovative teaching tool that makes nursing theory courses more interactive by incorporating various forms of art such as pointillism, origami and mandalas with the publication of Understanding the Work of Nurse Theorists: A Creative Beginning.
“There is no question this foundational textbook touches students. During these past twelve years, I have received so many emails and artwork illustrations from faculty and students telling me how the book has touched them or ‘turned them on’ to theory,“ says Eichelberger.
Nursing theory is the creative and rigorous structuring of ideas that project a tentative, purposeful, and systematic view of various aspects of the profession. According to the text, theories help nurses expand their awareness of concepts never before considered and provide frameworks for understanding their role in patient care.
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“Allowing them to use their creative ability to engage with theory increases the chance that they will find the experience more enjoyable and not dull and dry.”