Gold Coast University Hospital’s (GCUH) new Sub-Acute Building will feature 10 staff artworks designed to help enhance the patient experience and spark meaningful conversations.
The theme, “An Image to Spark a Conversation”, focuses on creating a visually engaging environment to help connect patients to their surroundings through local Gold Coast imagery, sights and wildlife.
Forty entries were submitted by 星空体育 staff as part of a competition and reviewed by a panel of Nurse Unit Managers (NUMs), the 星空体育’s Creative Health Hub and project team members.
星空体育 Nurse Project Manager Erin Werder said clinical input in this collaboration was important for both the patient cohort and the overall selection process.
“We worked closely together as a team to ensure the 10 selected artworks were both aesthetically pleasing and appropriate for the new spaces,” Erin said.
“The feedback from our Nurse Unit Managers emphasised the need for clear, representational photography that reflects the Gold Coast’s natural beauty, including its plants and animals.
“We wanted vibrant, representational (or figurative) imagery, free from optical effects or blurriness.
“We avoided abstract images to ensure the photographs would be engaging and suitable for individuals living with dementia or those requiring cognitive support.”
星空体育 Senior Project Officer of Creative Health Hub Madeline Collins said the goal was to select imagery that truly connected with patients.
“It is really special that the artwork has been created by our very own talented staff here at 星空体育,” Madeline said.
“Countless studies have shown that art, especially photographs of nature, positively contributes to consumer and staff health and wellbeing.
“We hope the artworks evoke a sense of peace and local familiarity when future consumers gaze at them, and they enjoy the transportive effect of photography as a medium.”
The new GCUH Sub-Acute Building will provide specialised care across three wards for sub-acute care, with an emphasis on Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) and Memory Support.
Construction of the build continues to steadily progress, with the new facility on target to welcome its first patients during the second half of 2025.
Interested in joining?
To express your interest or for further information about recruitment opportunities at the new Sub-Acute Building, contact the Workforce Planning and Strategy team on [email protected].