Ideas that Work: Inspirational Art

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, one of the first things we noticed was the negative shift in everyone's moods. We're both very upbeat people, so we brainstormed about what we could do to make things better. Toward the end of March, we started drawing inspirational chalk messages — such as "We got this," "Thanks, healthcare heroes" and "We're all in this together" — in the hospital's parking garages. To make sure our drawings were visible to staff and patients, we began to create messages at the hospital's entrances and hit every floor of the garages. We wanted to bring a little joy to someone who was having a hard time coming into work or leaving after an especially stressful shift. When our coworkers figured out we were behind the drawings, we dubbed ourselves The Sunshine Committee and started our own Instagram page (ww.instagram.com/the_sunshinecommittee/). Several colleagues have thanked us for bringing a smile to their face and for the little extra boost that helps start their day on a positive note. It doesn't take a lot of extra time — or advanced art skills — to brighten someone's day.

Erin Donohue, BSN, RN, CCRN
Allie Toczylowski, BSN, RN, CCRN
Einstein Healthcare Network
Philadelphia
[email protected]