During the first year of practice, nurse residents carry both excitement and emotional strain. Their well-being requires intentional support, reflection, and space to process the challenges of transitioning into professional practice (Jarden et al., 2021). Much of the focus within the first year of transition to practice is on clinical skills. However, nurse residents also need intentional time to process the realities of what they experience during the transition while receiving social acceptance in the workplace.

One meaningful tool that has enriched our nurse residency program is Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with powdered gold. Our organization participated in Healing the Healers retreats through the organization, Another Act of Kindness. This retreat offered a holistic approach to health and wellness specifically for nursing staff. This restorative day provided new coping skills to bring healing, build resiliency, and prevent burnout amongst staff. One activity that was completed at the retreat was the artform, Kintsugi. I experienced how powerful Kintsugi could be for nurses navigating emotional fatigue and the weight of clinical practice. Perhaps the irony is that nursing has been considered an artform since Florence Nightingale’s work, The Art of Nursing.

In alignment with the ANPD Scope and Standards of Practice Standard 5-B, we incorporated the Kintsugi experience into our nurse residency well-being curriculum as a hands-on, reflective activity. This NPD standard emphasizes the practitioner’s role in promoting well-being through strategies such as fostering self-care, strengthening resilience and adaptability, and preventing or mitigating burnout (Harper & Maloney, 2022). These efforts are particularly critical in the nursing profession, especially for those transitioning into practice.

Kintsugi is more than a restoration technique—it is a philosophy that embraces imperfection, healing, and resilience (Deng, 2025). While rooted in Asian artistic tradition, its symbolism translates universally. The process invites the artist to reflect on personal moments of challenge and renewal. Instead of hiding flaws, the gold-filled seams highlight the beauty in mending and honor the history of the object.

Our well-being session focuses on the whole person, not just the nurse at the bedside, and this is addressed during the opening of the nurse residency session. The facilitator asks the residents to step out of their ‘nurse shoes’ for the next three hours, and allow themself to show up as the person they are. This specific session allows the learners to complete self-reflection holistically—life both inside and outside of work. Participants are invited to use the art process to reflect on any area of their life they choose: their career journey, personal challenges, relationships, or moments of growth. The active process of art-based learning inspires the artist to discover meaning and utilize creativity to translate their experiences into a visual representation (Amendolair, 2021). This has been an evidence-based method of teaching caring theories within nursing.

Residents use guided prompts throughout the activity to explore a challenging moment, and the strength or wisdom that formed during the mending. Kintsugi reinforces that vulnerability is not weakness—rather, it is a natural and essential part of professional growth. Its symbolism speaks to healing, embracing imperfections, personal transformation, and resilience.

Statements we incorporate include:

• Brokenness is not the end; it’s a transformation.
• There is acceptance, resilience, and beauty in flaws.
• Scars are proof of a life well-lived.
• Every crack tells a story of survival.
• Your journey is your art—gold-filled and radiant.

Many nurse residents arrive at nurse residency expecting another technical skills session. Instead, they are encouraged to take off the “nurse hat” and focus on themselves as whole humans. This work is not merely a comforting activity, it is an essential reminder that nurses must develop rhythms of wellness and self-awareness to sustain long, fulfilling careers (Raj et al, 2022). Without intentional restoration, burnout is inevitable.

The Kintsugi process is simple: residents break plates with a hammer, rebuild them using ceramic glue, and paint the repaired seams with gold. Throughout the artistic process, facilitators move around the room and engage residents in conversation. The interactions amongst residents naturally lead to deeper discussions about how residents are navigating their roles or life outside work: what feels challenging, what is going well, and where they need support. This activity creates space for emotional honesty, which in turn fosters meaningful connection among participants. The artform and conversation support mental and emotional health, strengthen support networks, reinforce coping strategies, and contribute to identity formation and long-term resilience.

Some anecdotal responses regarding the activity include “I liked best being able to spend time with others in my cohort in a non-nursing specific way”, and “It’s good to reflect on our own wellness. I struggle to do this for myself.” Another nurse resident noted “I liked that I didn’t have to think about work in the scope I normally think about work.” Many residents’ comment on the enjoyment of ‘plate therapy’ and state, “This was one of my favorite sessions’. When asked about the presentation being useful in clinical practice, 87.5% of residents have responded ‘strongly agree’, and 12.5% of residents responded ‘agree’. When asked how the respondents would rate the overall nurse residency session, 87.5% responded ‘very good’ and 12.5% responded ‘good’.

To date, we have not had a participant experience a strong emotional experience. However, if that should happen, we would allow the participant space to do what they need—whether that is to talk about the experience or take time out of the room to self-regulate. In the final part of this nurse residency session, we have a social worker come and speak on self-compassion. This is another resource and added time of reflection proven to be well-received by the nurse residents.

If you are considering incorporating the Kintsugi practice into your nurse residency program, it is important to plan for the time required, determine the most appropriate session for placement, and identify the necessary materials. We integrated the activity into our well-being session and were able to adjust the agenda. One anticipated barrier was sourcing the supplies; however, in alignment with NPD Standard 17: Resource Stewardship (Harper & Maloney, 2022), we prioritized low-cost materials, frequently utilizing donated ceramic items. We began by requesting donations within our department and exploring thrift stores and closing retail locations. Identifying the appropriate adhesive glue required some trial and error, but a heavy-duty ceramic glue proved most effective. Reusable materials such as hammers, drop cloths, gloves, paintbrushes, and gold paint can be used throughout sessions, further supporting cost efficiency.

Kintsugi has become a powerful tool for reflection, refreshment, and connection within our nurse residency program. It helps new nurses view their challenges not as failures, but as moments that strengthen and shape them. The activity is engaging, memorable, and at the end, residents take their artwork home as a symbolic reminder of their growth and resilience. This is a meaningful reminder to us all that we are each not solely defined as being a nurse, and the whole person must be cared for.

References

Amendolair, D. (2021). Art and Science of Caring of Nursing: Art-Based Learning. International Journal for Human Caring, 25(4), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.20467/HumanCaring-D-20-00032

Deng, C. (2025, June 22). kintsugi. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/kintsugi-ceramics

Harper, M. G., & Maloney, P. (Eds.). (2022). Nursing professional development: Scope and standards of practice (4^th ed.). Association for Nursing Professional Development.

Jarden, R. J., Jarden, A., Weiland, T. J., Taylor, G., Bujalka, H., Brockenshire, N., & Gerdtz, M. F. (2021). New graduate nurse wellbeing, work wellbeing and mental health: A quantitative systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 121. Retrieved from https://rave.ohiolink.edu/ejournals/article/378704325

Raj, M., Jimenez, F. E., Rich, R. K., Okland, K., Roy, L., Opollo, J., . . . Brittin, J. (2022). Influence of Evidence-Based Design Strategies on Nurse Wellness. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 15(4), 233-248. Retrieved from https://rave.ohiolink.edu/ejournals/article/385419592