Caps from medications – antibiotics, anticoagulants, insulin, morphine. Where do they all go after they’re used?
Before Roper Hospital Registered Nurse Beth Beaty, most of them likely went in the trash. Now, thanks to Beth’s ingenuity and creativity, those caps have become vibrant, three dimensional, mosaic-style art. In April, Beauty’s up-cycled works went on display on Roper Hospital’s fifth floor – and is now being enjoyed and praised by staff and patients alike.
Beaty spent more than a year collecting the supplies she used in her work, which depicts Charleston landscapes, and Rainbow Row, in particular. In addition to feeding her own creativity and commitment to sustainability, Beaty knew that research reveals that staff-produced artwork is linked to positive outcomes.
Prior to her nursing career, Beaty was a graphic designer and photographer, and the idea of combining her breadth of skills and passions has turned out to be both enjoyable and therapeutic for her – and everyone who has the chance to experience the work.