GE HealthCare Turns Nurses' Long Hours into Brushstrokes with 'Canvases of Care'

Nurses spend countless hours providing care to others. But sometimes that's hard to see. This year for National Nurses Week, GE HealthCare, creative agency BBDO, NY is celebrating nurses everywhere by turning their hours into brushstrokes, to paint a detailed picture of what a nurse’s never-ending commitment to care actually looks like—in a way that’s never been expressed before.

BBDO partnered with Tim Okamura, a Japanese Canadian artist based in NYC known for his contemporary realist portraits, to bring this idea to life. 

Recognising the great lengths and countless hours it takes to care for others, Tim helped visualise the 'care data' of four different nurses, paying homage to their commitment to care with each stroke he painted. Utilizing a custom infrared frame mounted to his canvas, we were able to keep track of his brushstrokes in real time, ensuring they reflected the significance of the many hours each nurse has selflessly given.

And because a nurse’s work is never finished, neither are our paintings. Intentionally left incomplete, these Canvases of Care serve as a reminder and celebration of a nurse’s never-ending resilience, passion, and commitment to helping others. 

Nurses are the backbone of the Healthcare industry and deserve all the recognition they can get. GE HealthCare wants to thank each and every one of them for helping in their mission to create a world where healthcare has no limits. This is just one of the many ways GE HealthCare is actioning their new platform, “Care that can,” which shines a light on the human side of health tech.

Canvases of Care will continue to live on within the GE HealthCare Gallery of Care.

Rob Concepcion, creative director, BBDO, states: "Nurses dedicate so much time and energy to helping others.These unfinished paintings celebrate nurses' never-ending commitment to care, and visualize that commitment in a way that feels tangible. Serving as a reminder how lucky we are to have them.”

Jess Rello, creative director, BBDO, comments: “Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare industry, but often their work goes unnoticed. We wanted to pay tribute to nurses in a meaningful way that recognizes both the importance and volume of their work. They deserve so much more than a week's worth of recognition, but we hope this is a start.”

Tim Okamura, Artist, comments: “I love the concept relating the brushstrokes to the number of hours that they've put in in their career. It just really gives you a sense of how much work, how much dedication, just the commitment to care that each one of these nurses has put in. I feel empathy in all of their faces, and I just feel like I'm seeing some very kind people, like truly kind humans.”

Simone Hannah-Clark, Nurse, GEHC, says: “We always have to remind one another that nursing is a 24-hour profession.”

Richard Onyait, Nurse, GEHC, says: “Being a nurse is a calling. It’s something that’s in your heart. It’s inside your veins. For me, just being able to help one more person live another day is my satisfaction.”

Nicholas Sydow, Nurse, GEHC, says: "I feel pretty fortunate that I can take care of people as a career. Going to work, I don't always look at it as work—I look at it like I'm just helping people. I feel very blessed that I get to do this."