INSPIRATIONAL ART
Chalk Drawings Offer Daily Cheer
Ideas Work
P r a c t i c a l p e a r l s f r o m y o u r c o l l e a g u e s
That
W
hen the COVID-19 pandemic
began, one of the first
things we noticed was the
negative shift in everyone's moods.
We're both very upbeat people, so we
brainstormed about what we could do
to make things better. Toward the end
of March, we started drawing inspira-
tional chalk messages — such as "We
got this," "Thanks, healthcare heroes"
and "We're all in this together" — in the
hospital's parking garages. To make
sure our drawings were visible to staff
and patients, we began to create mes-
sages at the hospital's entrances and hit
every floor of the garages. We wanted
to bring a little joy to someone who
was having a hard time coming into
work or leaving after an especially
stressful shift. When our coworkers fig-
ured out we were behind the drawings,
we dubbed ourselves The Sunshine
Committee and started our own
Instagram page (instagram.com/
the_sunshinecommitee). Several col-
leagues have thanked us for bringing a
smile to their face and for the little
extra boost that helps start their day on
a positive note. It doesn't take a lot of
extra time — or advanced art skills —
to brighten someone's day.
Erin Donohue, BSN, RN, CCRN
Allie Toczylowski, BSN, RN, CCRN
Einstein Healthcare Network
Philadelphia
thesunshinecommittee0@gmail.com
DYNAMIC DUO Erin Donohue BSN, RN, CCRN (right), and Allie Toczylowski BSN, RN, CCRN, draw messages to
lift the spirits of their colleagues.
CHALK
IT UP Ms. Donohue and Ms. Toczylowski began by writing messages in the hospital's parking garages.
8 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0
The
Sunshine
Committee
The
Sunshine
Committee