Reflecting, Reacting, Rehearsing.

By artist Paige Whitaker in collaboration with researcher Alexandra Carlin

Spoken word audio track, overlaying a colour transition from white, to blue, to black, on a loop.

At some point in your life you are very likely to receive care provided by a registered nurse. The care might be a simple vaccination, or more complex such as; mental health intervention, palliative or critical care. Nursing staff are there as support at varying situations in our life, influencing both our negative and positive experiences of our healthcare system. Our opinions of nursing staff very much relies on physical interactions – we may see a nurse as more respectable depending on their age, the colour of their uniform, and general appearance. Exploration of the public perception of nursing staff is vital, particularly in light of workforce shortages and the associated challenges. 

Nurse education is undergoing significant changes with timely government pledges to increase the number of nurses. How can Higher Education prepare nursing staff to work within ever-changing work conditions? 

Reflecting, Reacting, Rehearsing explores the public’s opinions of nursing staff, and the difficulties junior nursing staff may face when moving from their education, to question what can be done to help the dwindling nursing workforce.