Humanities resources to support healthcare professionals and patients
Nise: The Heart of Madness (Portuguese- Nise: O Coração da Loucura) Commentary Nise da Silveira was born in Brazil in 1905. She was a lot of things – the only female student of her graduating class in medical school, a student of Carl Jung and a pioneer of occupational therapy in Psychiatry. In this film, Nise: Read More …
Wit (2001) – “And death shall be no more, death, thou shalt die” Commentary Where do literature and medicine intersect? Mike Nichols 2001 movie Wit, based on the prizewinning play by Margaret Edson, tests that, as a literature scholar tries to make sense of her impending death. Several writers speak of finding meaning in the Read More …
Hollie McNish. So no more will I sit on these cold toilet lids No matter how embarrassed I feel as she sips Because in this country of billboards, covered in tits I think we should try to get used to this Commentary A rattling, lilting, lyrical rant at the absurdity of society’s contradictory attitudes to Read More …
I had overestimated the size of the square in the middle of town by quite a lot. But it was still big, more than big enough for a hospital. Two operating theatres, one of them in a truck! an emergency room and maybe eighty beds? We’d have to take care of the cars of Read More …
The last 1000 days, Molly Case Commentary As we slowly make the shift to practise realistic medicine, where “patients are at the centre of decision making”, it’s more important now to understand what’s truly important to those who are at the receiving end of medical care. The poem The last 1000 days is written in a language Read More …
Commentary Thom Green is drummer for Alt-J – and has kidney failure and a transplant, and deafness, all caused by the inherited condition Alport Syndrome, which came on in his teens. In short videos he talks about the shock of dialysis, how different living with a transplant is, and about his (deceased) kidney donor. There’s Read More …
Ibsen on whistleblowing in 1882. In this extract Dr Stockmann finds that his discovery of the health risk arising from local industry is most unwelcome. There is a confrontation with his brother, the mayor of the town. From from a New York production (Manhattan Theatre Club). Commentary Dr Stockmann is physician to the new spa Read More …
Touch Life – movie from Aeon.co. Commentary A 13 minute film touching gently on anxiety about meeting a partner’s parents, being blind, screenreaders, and a guide dog. Beautifully filmed and edited with carefully framed Edinburgh scenery. Blindness is just-one-of-the-facts, and this feels a very authentic portrayal. Agata, a young, blind Polish woman, plans to travel Read More …
On working in the NHS as a nurse, Molly Case. Commentary Molly Case was a student nurse when she recorded this, but before that, already a poet and performer. Here she was invited to speak at the RCN annual meeting. There is an alternative YouTube video of the same piece set in hospital. Further info Read More …