Objective

To analyze the students' perceptions of the impact which their participation in artistic-cultural activities within the university space has on their nursing-formation process.

Method

This is a qualitative research guided by the epistemology of Fleck. Seventeen nursing students from a high level school, and also members of artistic-cultural movements such as theater, music and Maracatu groups, participated in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then organized following the collective subject discourse technique.

Results

Related to the positive influence of their artistic-cultural activities, the students highlighted their stimulus to study, feeling relaxed, and being more prepared for the academic activities including those which can help them develop competences and sensibilities to improve the clinical nursing practice scenarios. A remark on the academia who doubts the credibility of these activities and who follows a model in which health is only viewed as the absence of illness was also highlighted.

Conclusions

The integration of artistic and cultural activities into the nursing formation process allows the students to develop renewed modes of thinking which can strengthen the links among their knowledge areas, and thus prepare them better for a holistic care practice