Creating tapestries of knowledge: Weaving liberal arts into nursing education in Canada

Nursing has been described as both an art and a science. However, science has been privileged in nursing education, and there is a need to integrate liberal arts within nursing to facilitate the development of holistic and person-centred nursing practices. The authors present reflections about the integration of liberal arts content and an art-based assignment within a first-year nursing course in Canada, from the perspectives of students and the course professor. Details about the course and the finished assignments of three students who enrolled in the course in 2022 are described. Ongoing reflections about personal and professional values have been a strength of this assignment. Challenges included the time to develop fair rubrics and the time required for marking. The integration of liberal and creative arts into nursing education has the potential to cultivate critical and creative thinking in future nurses to lead needed transformations in health care.