Directed by the award-winning team at Plan A Films, this film is presented by the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement, and produced by StoryCollab, in association with Ballad Health, East Tennessee State University College of Nursing, and East Tennessee State University Research Corporation.
Filmed during a three-day digital storytelling workshop and public screening of the stories, the documentary follows nurses as they craft short, first person narratives about their work and lives.
.png)
This film asks you to see the emotional labor beneath the uniform—the moments of doubt, faith, grief, joy, and fierce love that shape every act of care. If empathy is the foundation of care, then listening is how we build it. Over three days, these nurses listened closely to one another, helped each other find the heart of their stories, and spoke of experiences that are rarely acknowledged in clinical spaces. This documentary explores the creative and emotional process of storytelling—the laughter, tears, and reflection that accompany the act of sharing.
The film will be screened at national and international film festivals, nursing classrooms, and external public screenings.
The film is directed and produced by Plan A Films, a minority-owned studio whose projects have won 2 Emmys, Cannes Lions, Clios, ADC Gold Cubes, Effies, and a Sundance Special Jury Prize. Chusy’s directorial expertise in cinematic documentary and branded storytelling ensures a festival-caliber production that merges artistry with authenticity.
“I feel like sharing my story out loud helped me to grieve in a different way. I’ve never shared a personal story out loud and it really helped me to step out of my comfort zone.”
-Kinsley Wykle, Med/Surge Nurse, Greeneville Community Hospital
“I haven’t shared my story with many people, so it was therapeutic to be able to share it in a space where others understand and can even relate. I feel that sharing this story also made me be more open to telling others because it might help them as well.”
-Josie Rivers, RN, Ballad Health
“It’s been therapeutic to have this experience in a such a safe and supportive environment. Hearing other nurses stories relieved me of some of the guilt I have about burdening others with my own story. It has helped to show me that healing more is possible, so I don’t have to remain this broken forever.”
-Mandy Rust, Bristol Regional Medical Center-Intensive Care Unit