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Scenic Murals Brighten Gynecologic Oncology Infusion Suite
Patients coming to the infusion area in Gynecologic Oncology have a choice
to make when they arrive: do they want to sit in the garden, at the beach or
in the mountains?
UNC Hospitals interior decorators asked artists Earle Kluttz Thompson and Raines Thompson to paint murals depicting scenes from the beach, a garden, and a mountain cabin so that the infusion rooms would be a more pleasant environment for patients. The two artists make up Kluttz Thompson Designs and have completed projects within UNC Hospitals for the past seven years.
Raines said that she enjoyed helping to make a place where patients can feel good during treatment instead of the conventional sterile hospital environment. “Just the fact that we could entertain them and break up the monotony of sitting in the chair was satisfying,” she said.
During the three weeks that the artists worked on the murals, hospital staff
and patients watched the art take form. “The patients were so appreciative
and told us over and over and over how much [of a] difference it made and how
much fun it was for them to watch us do it,” said Earle.
“I hope that we’ll get to paint some other areas for the women’s section of the hospital because it does make such a difference and I hope that it makes the patient’s time there more comfortable and not so scary, to kind of keep their mind off things,” said Earle.
Linda Fowler, gynecologic infusion area nurse, said, “Our women face
life- threatening diseases with grace and amazing strength. They deserve the
soothing environment that the murals provide. The paintings of a garden, a
beach and the ocean, and meadow/mountains can transport them from a sterile
hospital environment to a place of comfort and peace. “ Added Barbara
Brannigan, another infusion nurse, “Patients have said the birds in the
murals are so lifelike they expect them to chirp and fly away. Our infusion
rooms are a feast for the eyes.”
