Donna Frost

Nature of professional artistry 179 6 Figure 6 . 1 Painting (NPI- 2015 -photo 023 ) and metaphors generated within both inquiries with respect to the ontological and praxiological nature of professional artistry When taken together these metaphors and the painting give an impression of the colour, potential and energy with which professional artistry imbues the practice of the professional. This impression, however, leaves such questions as what professional artistry ‘looks like’ and how it is manifested in our practice, unanswered. In the following section the patterns of engagement evident in the practice of nurses in the study are presented. They paint a more tangible picture of what can be seen in the practice of a nurse practising with professional artistry. Patterns of engagement Five patterns of engagement were found to be indicative of professional artistry in our practice. Together they are what professional artistry in nursing looks like. They are distinct from each other only to a certain extent; their boundaries are entwined, they work together and flow in and out of each other, as shown in the photograph below (Figure 6 . 2 ) where the different cards form part of the same spiral and illustrate different aspects of the practice of a nurse practising with professional artistry. The ontological and praxiological nature of professional artistry is present in each of the patterns.