The fourth enquiry in my questionnaire is ‘Where would I go to find integrity on the Sunshine Coast’. It is question that has stumped a few people.
The reason behind the question is the possibility of a new location to canvas in my quest to find Integrity. One particularly optimistic and relaxed gentleman replied ‘SCUH’. This is an abbreviation of Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
He’d been a patient there not long ago and said that all the staff were genuine, caring and considerate.
A hospital makes for a slippery social landscape. It is a place where life and wellbeing can be tentative. At the same time it is a place for transformation and care. Hospitals usually make me feel uncomfortable through past traumatic experience. The aesthetics, the smells and sounds, all meld to conjure bad memories…but not here. SCUH does still look like a hospital, but its hyper-featured architecture and super new surfaces give it an air of optimism, efficiency and progression, a contrast from the medical institutions we may be used to.
As dynamic as this location may sound, it was not an easy space to morally navigate. I remained outside in an expansive courtyard delineated with gardens and seating. It felt designated as a place to relax. I was very conscious that patients might be in a delicate mood and the staff with their mind on their work. It made it difficult to approach people directly and with confidence. I selected individuals carefully, and consequently collected some enlightening insights that aligned with my own experience within the courtyard.
Respect. Be true to yourself and mindful of your surroundings.