Image: Brian Rybolt

Arts In Healthcare: Nursing

Three local photographers were commissioned to photograph nurses in their different caring and high-tech roles. Here, Margaret Richards, Curator at Arts in Healthcare in East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, reports on the experience.

Most of the images were taken in 2016, at the centenary of the Royal College of Nursing, when Arts in Healthcare was asked to submit photographs of nurses in our local hospitals to a national competition and exhibition organised with the Royal Photographic Society. I asked three professional photographers who would be able to bring an extra creative flair to the project – and sure enough, three of our photographs were shortlisted in the competition.

Photo: Bob Mazzer

In discussion with the three photographers, Brian Rybolt, John Cole and Bob Mazzer, it was planned to put up an exhibition when the opportunity and funds were found. Now, in 2018, seems to be the opportune moment as it is in the 70th year of the NHS – and coincides with the annual Coastal Currents Festival.

Photo: John Cole

I accompanied the photographers as they met and photographed the nurses in several departments, including A&E, the cardiology scanning lab and wards. The nurses were delighted to take part and we enjoyed the jokes and jibes between staff and the photographers. The images show nurses in their different caring and high tech roles. Brian donned a lead apron when he took pictures in the Cardiology Cath Lab.

“I‘ve always found photographing within the health care industry – whether the NHS or a private nursing home – immensely satisfying and rewarding,” writes John Cole. “Over the past twenty-five years I have worked with the Terrence Higgins Trust, the London Lighthouse Centre for AIDS, Kings College Hospital, St. Richards Hospital in Chichester, St Michael’s Hospice and of course the Conquest. I feel that health care workers – especially the front line nurses – are the real heroes in today’s society. When Margaret invited me to be part of the Royal College of Nursing photo competition, I leapt at the opportunity!”

Arts in Healthcare is the arts project for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, based at Conquest Hospital, but working across other sites, mainly Eastbourne District General Hospital. Arts in Healthcare looks after over 800 artworks, mostly on loan from artists in this area as well as commissions and archival artefacts – and runs four exhibitions a year.

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