I began combining my passions for the arts and nursing in 2009 after my sister went, without any warning, from being a healthy 26-year-old who loved playing roller derby and being a mom to her young daughter to being in an acute coma. As the nurse and oldest in the family, I was grateful to be able to step in and care for her. I took a semester off from my MFA program to move into my sisters’ hospital room and live by her side – bathing her and helping her relearn how to eat and speak.
 

Although these were some of the most difficult times for my sister and I, this experience ushered in some very intimate and special moments that only suffering can bring. At night, I would put on music and dance around her hospital room to make her laugh. I saw the positive impact of play and movement in the midst of traumatic experiences, and how deeply joy and grief are interwoven in our sufferings. After this experience, I returned to my graduate studies and created You & Me, a thesis performance that was a direct reflection of this special time with my sister. During You & Me all guests experience one on one in-person intimate creative experiences and a sit-down family style dinner that bring us all into a closer understanding of our collective humanity and healing. I thank my sister for her bravery and for showing me how healing happens in relationships. 

 

In 2015 I had an experience where I became a patient for the first time. I almost lost my life that evening in the Emergency Room. I remember being passed out completely as they called a Code Yellow, the code you call before a Code Blue before your heart stops.  A nurse grabbed my hand and said, “I am here, and you are going to be ok.” that moment changed the entire course of my life. 

 

In that moment I was reminded of the impact we have as nurses and healthcare providers; of the joy and sacred calling that comes from caring for another human being in the midst of suffering. 

 

When I recovered I began researching patient outcomes. I learned that compassion fatigue and burnout were stealing the joy that comes from caring from another human being, and because of this, our patients were suffering – specifically Black, Indigenous and patients of color. This is when The Clinic was born. 

 

I directed our first performance, First, Do No Harm, alongside co-directors Lia Bonfilio and Jadd Tank and led our first workshop at Rose Medical Center alongside co-director Clare Hammoor.  When COVID-19 hit, the demand for burnout prevention measures for our healthcare workers grew, as did The Clinic team. Now, our brilliant collaborators – theatre makers, wellness leaders, visual artists, community organizers, public health advocates – now have the privilege of working with healthcare systems across the United States and Europe to help change the conversation and improve relationships for our healthcare workers as the world reckons with what it truly means to be cared for.

 

Thank you for joining the movement. I’m so glad you’re here.

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–  Tara Rynders, RN, MFA, BSN, BA

Founder & Executive Artistic Director