The Art of Compassion: Nursing Education

As a UF student, Lauren Arce studied psychology, but a lifelong love of dance brought her to AIM. Lauren took a course at the UF Center for Arts in Medicine called Dance in Medicine. As part of her coursework, she became a volunteer at AIM and discovered how the arts could lead people through illness. Once she obtained her degree she returned to work for AIM as the program coordinator, and began to see that her life’s work could combine her love of dance with her passion for patient care. She went on to obtain her BS in nursing, and returned again to AIM to help form the first shared Nursing/Artist position in the field of Arts in Healthcare. Lauren’s love of the arts and desire to serve others has come full circle through her experience with Arts in Medicine. She is a tremendous example of how AIM can create a bridge between health and wellness by combining the arts and nursing.