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Photography, Text and Video by Eileen Ko, Copyright 2018
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A WORK OF HEART
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When I was thinking of a theme for this assignment, I wanted to take photographs of things I see and work with every day but do not take the time to really pay attention and consider their value. In addition, I wanted to photograph things that not everyone is familiar with– things that are common to me but not to all students. This was how I came to decide to focus my theme on medical supplies. My desire is to give my viewers an idea of what nursing is and how nursing students use these medical supplies during clinical to provide care to our patients.
According to the American Nurses Association, nursing is the “protection, promotion, and optimization of health” and the “facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response.” In order to carry out this role, we need specific and proper instruments to help us provide care and obtain health information. I wanted to introduce the materials that I wear and use that give me a sense of identity and responsibility I have in influencing the patients’ health and ultimately their lives. For example, my hospital ID’s represent my identity, role, and devotion as a nursing student and future nurse to optimize my clinical experiences to improve my skills in providing competent care. Additionally, my watch explains that time is a critical factor in patient care. Every second is crucial. Every second precious. Every second requires us to never lose our edge and be on focus.
When I walk into the hospital twice a week for clinical, I experience the intense and various range of emotions. Joy in the successful birth of a newborn. Distressing emotions such as despair, fear, pain, discomfort, and frustration. To represent this wide range of emotions, I photographed some of the images against a black background to symbolize gloom and darkness. I photographed the rest of the images in bright light against a white background to depict happiness. I also added flower petals and leaves to symbolize the relentless hope that patients and families have in their desire for recovery.
Setting up the items in a particular way and the use of light were incorporated in the images. Each photograph required altering the lightings and editing the brightness and contrast to convey the various emotions attached to nursing, how we use equipment, and patient experiences.
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About The Author: Eileen Ko is a Nursing student in her junior year at the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2019. To access additional articles by Eileen Ko, click here: https://tonywardstudio.com/blog/eileen-ko-beauty-ordinary/