Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

In layperson terms, the humanities and sciences appear to be mutually antagonistic to each other. Sadly, university students and even faculty in both disciplines may perceive the same antagonism. Yet within the past decade, science and the humanities have become more interrelated on the educational level. It is now common for nursing students to have a visiting lecturer in the humanities, or a visit to a fine arts museum as part of their clinical training. Observing a modern painting can help teach students how to better diagnose patients’ moods and health. (In like manner, literary and dramatic texts can play a similar role). At Capital Community College in the United States, a two-year higher education program with a focus on nursing, the humanities already have a pedagogical role in nursing coursework. How else has this humanities-based pedagogical supplement grown in the education of health care workers? What do current theories and researchers say about this growing relationship between the humanities and sciences and the role of the humanities in science-based pedagogy?