Practice exemplar through the theory of AesNURP

I am a nurse who was assigned to care for Mr. A, a patient with leukemia in a hematological ward. One day, I came to meet him in his patient care room. In meeting Mr. A, I began to know him, that he was in pain and afraid to eat because of his oral ulcers which were side effects of chemotherapy treatment. I used a thermometer to check his temperature and determined whether or not he had infection. Mr. A told me that he would like to have ice-cream very much but eating ice cream, although soothing to his mouth, might cause oral ulcer infection since his immune system was low. I valued myself to do the best care for him in relieving his pain and in his desire to have ice-cream. I knew how to make a simple sterile ice-cream from sterile water, syrup and milk, I prepared this ice treat in the freezer. Syrup and milk would provide energy and some nutrient sources, and the cold treat will sooth his mouth. The coldness of the ice would make him feel better, by providing relief of his pain from oral ulcers. I affirmed that we could make it together. I and Mr. A made sterile iced treats in many beautiful patterns and colors. I decorated some with flower designs and on the table, natural flowers to make the environment pleasing. I invited other patients and nurses too to join. I witnessed that Mr. As eyes lit up and he smiled. He ate the ice-cream with happiness. He said thank you very much to me as I made his dream come true. He also took some pictures of the ice-cream and shared this with his family. I also shared and reflected this experience of satisfaction in my caring for Mr. A to other nurses in the next shift.

Analysis:

Encountering: The nurse has known about Mr. A based on Carpers ways of knowing, that Mr. A did not have infection because his temperature was normal (empirics). Mr. A felt pain and was afraid to eat. Mr. A valued doing his best to protect him from infection as well as the nurse valued maintaining practices that were beneficial and to do no harm (ethics). The nurse knew how to make the simple sterile ice-cream (personal knowing) and the artful addition of colors and flowers (aesthetic knowing). With technological knowing, the nurse was able to affirm that Mr. A did not have any fever and can participate in a caring encounter with the nurse and other patients.

Co-creating caring relationship: The nurse and Mr. A mutually knew each other. The nurse could understand the meaning of Mr. As health experience by interpreting and appreciating the situation that Mr. A had strongly desired to have ice-cream but because of his fear of pain due to oral ulcers, he was reluctant to engage in any eating activity, except eating ice cream. Knowledgeable information communicated by the nurse about the sterile ice-cream and its advantages made Mr. A value himself as a co-creator in mutually designing his care to make the sterile ice-cream.

Meaningful engaging: The nurse and Mr. A mutually participated in expressing caring by making the sterile ice-cream using their imagination and creativityaesthetically expressing these through a variety of color patterned ice-cream. Mr. A was impressed and participated well in the created pleasure and happiness of sharing.

All these practice processes of aesthetics in nursing occurred within the aesthetic environment in which the nurse and Mr. A (the nursed) co-created a mutual process through the experience shared in the caring situation. Subjective domain of the aesthetic environment was the feeling of perceptions that the nurse and Mr. A had such shared happiness, while the objective domain of aesthetic environment was the visual expression achieved through the decoration with beautiful flowers on the table. Aesthetic expressions in this caring situation were visualized through the caring encounter with Mr. A sharing his value and desires to live a meaningful life.