Course Overview
This course examines the profession of nursing as depicted in literature which may include fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, biography, film, and other genres. There will be a particular emphasis on understanding the history and cultural development of nursing through the lens of literature. Students will engage with literature purposefully, critically, and contextually to explore narratives that depict the evolution of nurses, patients, and healthcare systems across time and place. Through their writings and class discussion contributions, students will use literary theories to analyze and interpret texts thus revealing issues related to gender roles, ethics, social/political context, and more.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop and demonstrate an understanding of language, discourse, and analytical methods for interpreting a variety of textual works—such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama—whether presented in literary or film formats.
- Perform close reading to identify and interpret the formal and aesthetic features of a text, analyzing how these elements contribute to meaning and influence reader and audience response.
- Analyze literary interpretations, theories, and arguments by identifying unexamined assumptions and demonstrating understanding of diverse theoretical movements, their key characteristics, historical development, and lasting influence.
- Examine the development of nursing through history by applying literary inquiry techniques to analyze the influences of culture, race, gender, genre, literary traditions, historical periods, literary production, and the insights of literary theories.
- Demonstrate critical and ethical analysis of text through class contributions.