Spotlight: International nurse in Truro shares her story

This spring we’re throwing a spotlight on the brilliant work done by International nurses at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. Too often we know little about their stories and background. Our project, Through My Lens, aims to change that.  We’ve run a series of photography workshops for the nurses who have learned a little more about Cornwall – and been able to send pictures back home to their loved ones.

Geraldine arrived in the UK in December 2021 from Zimbabwe. She works in the Planned Care Unit, which is part of the surgical wards.

She attended two workshops run by local photographer, Mike Newman, who is based in Penzance.

One was at the Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, soon to be relaunching as Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery.

There, Geraldine took this photograph of butterflies which she thought was particularly meaningful.

“It reminds me of something that I saw on social media,” she said. “That butterflies remember to take a rest because they have to preserve their wings.  It’s a reminder to us to pause sometimes. In the storms of life, we should also take a rest.”

At her new home in Truro, Geraldine has a painting of a woman carrying a child on her back with storage vessels of food which is particularly meaningful to her.

“My interpretation is about us providing food for our families and loved ones,” she says.

Work by four nurses who participated in Through My Lens will be on display at Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery for six months from the start of March. Click here to read more.