Working Artfully within the Medical Center
By: Lolly Forsythe-Chisolm and Alanna Berman
“Creativity is not a
talent but a way of operating.”
~ John Cleese
~ John Cleese
Healthcare
acts as a microcosm of our rapidly changing culture. The arts are working their
way back into care and wellbeing. To recognize that Art can take many forms,
the Integrative Care team assigned our first art intern to interview staff
within the hospital that are doing their job in a creative manner. Having an
appreciation of the arts can encourage a creative work environment as well as
inspire value and meaning within any duty, career or job.
The
framework and focus of this project was to ask ten University of Maryland
Medical Center staff three questions:
How did you decide on your profession, what keeps you excited to come to
work, and do you have a core belief which keeps you anchored in times of
challenge or stress. These questions are important to ask ourselves in times of
change both in our culture and our workplaces. Acknowledging what is important
in our lives is the start of stress management and self-care.
Each story
we heard from our coworkers was interesting and varied. To organize and present
a small portion from each staff member, we decided break it down into “Ten
lessons the Arts teach” from a list created by Elliot Eisner.
Good judgments about qualitative
relationships.
Harold Hardinger has been a nurse for 39 years. Harold came to trauma after
time as a Navy Corpsman. Working in the Trauma Resuscitation Unit, he loves
that it is different every day. He has to have good judgment and bring that to
his “gut feeling” about how a patient is doing. His positive outlook and job
satisfaction comes in part from the “feeling of saving a life.” Harold swims
and enjoys time on his farm in order to de-stress.
Problems can have more than one
solution. Dan Eisner
is an Occupational Therapist and life coach at the hospital. Dan knew he did
not want a desk job. His passion is “learning about the process of change.” Knowing
that there is creativity in solving a problem or challenge, Dan has focused on
including patients in their care using principles of emotional management and
balance. Dan’s core belief is one of evolution, “we are on this plane to learn
and evolve.” Dan spends time in nature, exercises and enjoys family and pets to
reconnect and find balance.
Learning in the arts requires the
ability and willingness to surrender to the unanticipated possibilities of the
work as it unfolds.
Brian Nelson is a Nurse Case Worker at the hospital. Brian came to nursing
after recognizing the flexibility of hours and reliable pay. Brian enjoys that
“no two cases are the same” as well as the challenge of helping families
navigate unanticipated possibilities within discharge details. Brian has a core
belief and pride in the teamwork that he feels at University of Maryland
Medical Center. Brian is trained as a Massage Therapist and offers this service
to co-workers during times of stress. Time with his family is a priority as
Brian is a coach for his children’s sports teams and enjoys athletics.
The arts celebrate multiple
perspectives. Brian
Burke is a Clinical Education Specialist with experience as a Pediatric nurse at
the Medical Center. After volunteering with The Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society, Brian switched to nursing from a career in banking. Brian spoke about
being able to see the big picture within the acuity of a situation or challenge.
Having the ability to take a step back for multiple perspectives has offered
Brian the chance to bring a unique compassion to his nursing and now his work
within the Department of Clinical Practice and Professional Development. Admiring
the “commitment and energy of nursing,” Brian uses a positive attitude and
belief in nursing education to help “create an environment for the patients to which
they do not otherwise have access while hospitalized.” As a core belief, Brian values
relationships, working toward a goal and education. Time with his growing new
family is a top self-care priority in Brian’s life.
The arts make vivid that neither
words in their literal form nor number exhaust what we can know. Becky Halagarda is a Child Life
Specialist with a Masters Degree in Social Work; she works in the Pediatric
Hematology/Oncology Department at the hospital. Guiding children and families
through difficult diagnoses, Becky knows that sometimes it is not the words
that offer solace but the artistic expression. She often uses art and
creativity to make the hospital world/equipment less threatening for children. She
finds inspiration in her work when she experiences the “resilience in children
and families.” She offered the reminder that the staff can share and tell
stories in order to advocate for the creative care that treats the whole
patient. Becky uses athletics as her self-care and her faith as a resource for
balance in her life.
The arts teach that small differences
can have large effects. Richie Stever is a Project Manager at the hospital. It is Richie’s job
to “keep the hospital building healthy so patients and families can come to get
healthy.” On the roof of the North hospital 14 stories high, Ritchie is
responsible for the management and construction of a new air ventilation system
which will make a difference in the hospital’s air quality. “Changing the
building’s performance by constructing a new X Ray room in the front of the
house and installing new ‘green’ equipment in the back of the house” is what
keeps Richie excited about his work. Fishing, biking and spending time with his
kids is what helps him re-charge.
The arts teach us to think through
and within a material.
Chris Shippen is a nurse lactation consultant for the Division of Women’s and
Children’s Health, working out of the Mother/Baby/Gyn Unit at the Medical
Center. Chris has used her 30-plus years of nursing experience to think through
some ways to creatively “process events which will affect the life of an Obstetrics
(OB) nurse.” She teaches her OB student nurses to use journaling during their
clinical work. Through her work lecturing about bereavement and breastfeeding,
Chris finds satisfaction impacting lives in a positive manner. Her core beliefs
in spirituality as well as the fact that there are so many opportunities to
learn and grow in nursing keep her coming to work day after day. Chris’s self-care
involves using Integrative Care modalities for herself as well as finding
creative ways to offer relaxation to patients, families, and staff.
The arts help us learn to say what
cannot be said.
Reverend Susan Roy is the head of Pastoral Care Services at UMMC. Susan was
planning to spend her career as a Lutheran Pastor in Parish Ministry. She
“allowed faith to lead” her to serve in specialized ministry at the Medical
Center. At the hospital, she has been inspired by the diversity of opportunity,
the chance to meet new people, and the “unexpected” nature of her days. Susan
uses stories from her faith to create poetry which helps her deal with
challenges of a busy hospital. For Susan, writing poetry helped to “capture the
rawness and find expression for strong feelings.” Susan’s faith forms her core
belief in “compassion for all” and her self-care involves spending time with
pets, friends, and family.
The arts enable us to have experience
we can have from no other source. Robert Wright is a Volunteer for the Medical Center as a
member of the Trauma Survivors Network. Rob’s motorcycle accident was seven
years ago; he has been coming in as a visitor for patients for four years. Rob
decided to become a volunteer when he realized that some patients did not have support
and many would benefit from a perspective which differed from the medical focus.
Inspiration comes for Rob when he is able to see a patient become motivated to
move through great odds after hearing about his journey of daily hard work and
triumph to get back to wellbeing. Rob values
the chance to tell this story and connect to others through the Trauma
Survivors Network Support Group. During times of stress, Rob is reminded and “humbled”
that he has “already been to flat line and there is nowhere to go but up from
there.”
The arts position within the medical
center acts as a symbol for what we believe is important as a culture. Mark Walker is a new nurse on
Gudelsky 9 Surgical Intermediate Care Unit. He came to nursing after a career
in Finance and Real Estate as a licensed Settlement Agent. Recognizing that the
sales world taught him valuable people skills, Mark wondered if the job in Real
Estate was the best place for his talents and time. He realized that nursing
offered him the ability to “make a difference in someone’s life in a 12 hour
shift.” With his core belief that “we are all part of the same stuff,” Mark has
a commitment to teach nurses people skills, compassion and to include mind,
body and Spirit to treat the whole person/patient. Each is an important aspect
for what we value as a culture and a changing healthcare environment. For self-care,
Mark spends time with family and makes time for meditation and spiritual
inquiry.
Each of the
staff members spoke of the importance of relationship both within family as
well as work. They all also recognized that hospital-wide there is a range of
opportunities and encouragement to continue to evolve and learn both from
educational opportunities as well as from each
challenge. As we spoke to each staff member, it was evident that working
artfully involves a willingness to imagine a bigger picture, to experiment, and
to be flexible. Staff also all had a thorough recognition of resources
available as well as a willingness to use thoughtful self-reflection when
facing difficulty. Working artfully included a range of self-care habits which
staff used to recharge and reconnect. Each also had a desire to pass on
knowledge using communication as well as valuable training, and experience.
Within the
rapidly changing culture and healthcare environment, self-care must be a
priority. As a quick assessment, ask yourself these same three questions: How did I decide on my career? What keeps me excited? And what value system
do I turn to when there is challenge?
Life stress often takes hold when we say “Yes” without first
reconnecting to priorities. After taking this inventory, look for creative
solutions or different ways to manage or share duties to work artfully within
your position. Simply reconnecting to what is important can bring a new clarity
and excitement to your daily tasks.
For more information about the Integrative Care Program at UMMC and their offerings, please contact Lolly at lforsythe@umm.edu.
