Frank's story of nursing art: Ask me who I am.

This patient's story was constructed from a study designed to describe how the art of nursing was perceived and understood by patients during a critical illness. Two in-depth interviews were conducted during the recovery phase of this person's illness to answer the question "When is nursing (considered) art?" The initial lead-in to the discussion was, "Tell me a story about a nursing situation that really stood out in your mind--one that was significant and meaningful." The interviews were tape recorded, transcribed, condensed into a short story, and shared with the participant. The researcher, also, composed a response to the person's story that personally expressed what the story triggered for her. Undergraduate nursing students were invited to reflect and respond to the "aesthetic face" of nursing from the perspective of a person who was nursed while critically ill. An example of a student response is included.