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A work of art

PLASTICS ARE COMMONLY USED WITHIN HEALTHCARE AND OUR HOSPITALS AND DISPOSED OF AFTER USE. HOWEVER, SOME NURSES HAVE FOUND A MORE CREATIVE OUTLET FOR THIS PLASTIC WASTE WHICH THEY HOPE BRINGS JOY AND HAPPINESS TO OTHERS.

Tilda Shalof worked as a nurse within the intensive care unit at Toronto General Hospital for nearly three decades. Here, she began collecting clean plastic lids, tabs, pins, levers, screws, and connectors that she used every day, and which were clean and had not come into contact with patients. She claimed she was attracted to their vibrant colours and interesting shapes and thought they would be suitable as interesting sorting toys for her young sons, so she put these items into her pocket and took them home.

As Shalof’s children grew up, her collection at home began to build up and she found she had lots of bags of plastic pieces. Therefore, during the summer of 2015 alongside artists Vanessa Herman-Landau and Bradley Matson, Shalof started creating an artwork from these plastic pieces.

The final mural is four feet by nine feet and hangs on the wall of Toronto General Hospital, a part of University Health Network where Shalof used to work.

Shalof said how each piece of the artwork reminds her of moments she has experienced with patients, recalling how a yellow top from adrenaline which was used during cardiac arrest was featured within the mural. Talking about the creation, Shalof said: “Mindfulness is the key message in the mural. You may not see value in these small pieces alone, however when you put many of them together with a helpful imagination you can turn these little fragments into something of value.”

Additionally, Shalof hopes it brings happiness to both staff and patients: “For families, it can be a cheerful, joyful thing to look at.” She added: “For nurses, I think it shows that all the little things that we do every day add up to big things for each person we treat. Any one of those pieces — the lids, the connectors — by themselves is meaningless. But all together you can create something with a lot of meaning for a patient.”

Shalof now continues to collect plastic bits whilst working within the interventional radiology department.

A second registered nurse, Beth Beaty, who works at Roper Hospital in South Carolina first began experimenting turning medical supplies into art when recuperating at home following her breast cancer diagnosis.

After one year, Beaty had created her first piece of art consisting of strings from patient belonging bags, a stethoscope and plastic caps from medications like antibiotics, flu shots, anticoagulants, insulin and morphine.

Her first painting was dedicated to Dr. Julia Haile, an infectious disease physician who passed away. This was because Haile was keen on the artwork idea of the piece and often asked Beaty for updates on her progress. Talking about the reason for the tribute to Haile, Beaty said: “She was always very encouraging and excited about it. I just thought it was a perfect tribute to her.”

Beaty explained: “I think part of what makes this cool is for nurses, we recognise all of these caps. For other people, it’s just a nice piece of art. Everyone has a different appreciation for it. And I like being able to tell patients that their medicine cap will be used in a painting – it lights up their face and makes such a difference.”

These nurses are inspiring others to create artwork from medical plastics that would otherwise be disposed of, with many creations being shared on sites such as Pinterest.

I like being able to tell patients that their medicine cap will be used in a painting – it lights up their face and makes such a difference.

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