An exhibition celebrating nurses and nursing will open at Kirkleatham Museum on Tuesday 23 July.
Stories from nurses right across the Tees Valley have been collected so that little known stories about nursing and the life of nurses in our area will not be forgotten.
Jo Hodgson, Museum Manager at Kirkleatham, explained that the project is a Tees Valley Museums Group initiative meaning museums right across the area have been involved.
She said that, although the museums have many objects related to nursing, we have few contemporary stories from modern nurses.
Jo Hodgson, Museum Manager at Kirkleatham said:
“To put this right, we invited nurses who are still practicing and those who have retired and from the many different areas of nursing, to share their memories and experiences with us. Capturing these valuable experiences through oral histories means we can now preserve their voices and knowledge for generations to come.”
One of the current nurses featured in the exhibition is Teresa Hannaway (picture attached), a Learning Disability Nurse who was born in Grangetown and now lives in Eston.
Teresa said that when she was just 13, she discovered that she loved caring for others when she volunteered at a play group for children with Learning Disabilities. It’s a ‘role’ she went on to continue – for real – for ten years as an adult when she began supporting people in crisis in mental health and looking after adults with a Learning Disabilities.
Teresa said:
“The dedication, the warmth, the camaraderie, the empathic, funny and ridiculously enthusiastic people who work in Learning Disability Healthcare oozes from people we work with in some very challenging times! From cradle to grave it’s my passion!”
The nurses involved in the project also chose two artists, local photographer Chris Binns, who also worked in Mental Health Care in the NHS, and artist Lucas Roy to work with the group and capture the essence of what nursing means to them.
The exhibition will also focus on the history of the profession and will include the story of Mary Jacques (picture attached) – a key figure in the history of nursing - who set up the very first cottage hospital in 1859, in North Ormesby following the Snowdon and Hopkins Ironworks explosions where injured men had to be treated in sheds with the nearest infirmary at Newcastle.
Cllr Carrie Richardson, Cabinet Member for Climate and Culture, said:
“This promises to be a fascinating exhibition about a profession – and individuals – who absolutely deserve to be celebrated.”
The exhibition is running from Tuesday 23 July until Sunday 15 September. Kirkleatham Museum has free entry and is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 4.30pm (last entry 4pm)