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ICU nurse’s rainbow mural honours colleagues’ work during COVID-19’s first wave

Nurse Laura Kirby-Deacon’s mural incorporates names of staff at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s intensive care unit

Nurse Laura Kirby-Deacon’s mural incorporates names of staff at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s intensive care unit

Intensive care unit nurse Laura Kirby-Deacon (second from left) at the unveiling of the mural she created at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Swindon
Intensive care unit nurse Laura Kirby-Deacon (second from left) at the unveiling of the mural she created at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Swindon

An intensive care unit (ICU) nurse has received praise for creating a rainbow mural showcasing colleagues’ names who cared for patients during the first wave of COVID-19.

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ICU practice educator Laura Kirby-Deacon came up with the idea and liaised with local printing and design companies to print the mural, which was unveiled at the hospital on 18 November.

Ms Kirby-Deacon said: ‘After the first wave of the pandemic, many of us were starting to feel the effects of built-up stress and fatigue. I felt it was important to boost team morale and to recognise all of the hard work we’ve put in.

Rainbow has become a symbol of recognition for NHS workers

‘This led to my idea of creating a mural to give thanks to ICU colleagues, redeployed staff and everyone else working behind the scenes.’

She added that the first thing to came to mind for the mural was a rainbow as it has become a national symbol of recognition for NHS workers throughout the pandemic.

‘The months spent gathering names of hundreds of staff was all worth it when the mural was revealed for the first time – it was an emotional moment for all of us and gave us a real sense of pride,’ she added.

Dedicated mural is a permanent reminder of work nurses have done and continue to do

A trust spokesperson said: ‘Many of our staff have made the ultimate sacrifice to care for local people during this difficult time and this dedicated mural is a permanent reminder of the work they have done and continue to do.’

Trust chief executive Kevin McNamara described the ICU team as ‘incredible’ on Twitter and said he would be ‘forever grateful’ to them all.

Other responses on Twitter described the mural as ‘wonderful and thoughtful’ and as ‘something to cherish.’

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