Edinburgh Napier University

  This on the horizon article proposes a relational model for enabling the development of skills and attributes associated with
‘compassionate craftsmanship’ in the developing nurse. This pedagogic model was informed by findings from the author’s
research with patients, nurses and students, all of which focused on aspects of care and compassion. While the studies were
located in varying contexts and involved diverse stakeholders, findings consistently revealed a connection between the provision
of compassionate person-centred care and the development of tacit knowledge in the nursing profession. These will be teased
out and explicated in a future paper; this article focuses on the proposed model.
The proposed model was developed by drawing on the literature of craftsmanship in a range of disciplines, where tacit
knowledge is commonly regarded as a vital underpinning factor. In consequence, the compassionate craftsmanship model
emphasises the importance of tacit knowledge in the design of appropriate pedagogic approaches to foster an ethos of
compassionate craftsmanship in nursing. The very nature of tacit knowledge, however, means it is a challenging educational area
to address. Hence the model, which illuminates a series of inter-related enabling factors that underpin the development of key
abilities associated with compassionate craftsmanship. It also highlights anticipated long-term outcomes for those who develop
and apply these in clinical practice.
The model will be of particular interest to healthcare practitioners, nurse leaders and those working in higher education. While
the underpinning abilities and associated outcomes are specific to nursing, they are likely to be relevant to different disciplines
where effective interaction with others is essential.