Donna Frost

Discussion and conclusions 275 8 The experiences within this study of creating person-centred and individualised informed consent agreements have implications for future collaborative inquiries in which contributions of those outside the inquiry groups are sought. Collaborative inquiry proposals and reports should explicitly address the ways in which attention will or has been paid to reciprocity and inclusivity. This research demonstrates that it is possible and can be actively beneficial for those involved. Lastly, the critical creativity methodological and philosophical framework has been both suitable and helpful in guiding and coming to understand the research processes at work within this inquiry. Although the critical creativity worldview can be daunting to a novice researcher, with appropriate support it is possible to experience the methodology in action and in this way come to embody the landscape of the design in question. Concluding remarks In summary, the nature of professional artistry in nursing can be understood as a set of ontological and praxiological assumptions embodied by the nurse and embedded in the nurse’s practices. These ways of seeing, doing and being are expressed in five patterns of engagement and result in an enlargement of the space for becoming. The patterns of engagement are described as the creation of a sheltered, shared space; being committed to the ideal; working with the parts and the whole; working with the now and the not yet, and, taking or enabling transformative action. This research furthermore demonstrates that iterative inquiry into professional artistry via a critical, creative and collaborative process not only supports the embodied understanding of professional artistry in one’s own practice, but creates the conditions in which it can be further developed. Coming to understand how to facilitate the development of one’s professional artistry is like embarking on a journey and necessitates passing certain milestones. The milestones or perspective transformations are described as recognising and accepting the professional artistry and the potential for it present in one’s practice; coming to embody critical and creative critique; and becoming intentional about exercising one’s professional artistry ‘muscles’. Enabling factors when facilitating the development of professional artistry can be found in oneself and also in one’s environment. It is helpful to come to understand the nature and characteristics of one’s own expertise, for example, and to view professional artistry as a way of being, rather than being something one ‘does’. Paying sustained attention, rather than sporadic, to understanding and developing professional artistry is helpful, as is