CULTURE. How have the role, expectations and standards of the nurse changed over time? What does the prevailing image of a nurse look like, and is it really accurate? The Institute of Health and Care Sciences saw a need for new images to portray the nursing profession, photos showing the versatility of the profession and challenging the stereotypical image of the nurse as a blonde girl.
At its vernissage the institution presented its new photo project with photos taken by “gender identity photographer” Tomas Gunnarsson. Deputy Department Head Carina Sparud Lundin and Jeanette Tenggren Durkan spoke at the opening. The photos are exhibited beside historical photos of nurses and historical nursing attire, which can be found in the institution’s museum cabinets. The aim is to present a different image of the nurse, a kind of counterpoint to the usual image of a self-sacrificing woman – motherly or sexy.
The exhibition, which is on display in the corridor between building 1 and other buildings on Hälsovetarbacken (Arvid Wallgrens Backe), is open to everyone and will continue until at least the summer, with a few exceptions. The photos will also be displayed in Nordstan during the International Science Festival April 18-22 and at the Academy of Design and Crafts (HDK) during Europride August 13-19. You will be able to see the newly photographed images at the institution’s and the university’s website, in digital mailings and also in ads and other printed materials.
The museum cabinets will be updated with new themes at least once a year.
Those who have worked with the exhibition and presentation of the photos are Jeanette Tenggren Durkan, Karin Mossberg, Lisen Dellenborg, Monica Kelvered and Elisabet Pollack. Special thanks to Eva Thörnkvist Nilsen, who acted as a model in historical attire during the opening.
TEXT: ELISABET NILSSON / JEANETTE TENGGREN DURKAN
PHOTO: JEANETTE TENGGREN DURKAN
