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A beautiful mind

When Edgar Catacutan, RN, BSN, returns from a trip, his colleagues immediately ask to see his vacation photos.

Catacutan, who works in the emergency department at St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee, has established a solid reputation for his impressive shots of landscape and nature scenes. “I like to capture quiet moments on film,” said Catacutan, who finds photography a great way to relax.

Others in the health care field can attest to the healing abilities of his photos. His art hangs in several Milwaukee-area buildings, including Covenant Healthcare facilities and the Reiman Center for Cancer Care, where patients selected photos that were then placed on the ceiling of the treatment rooms.

“Most of my photos feature waterfalls, lakes, and mountains,” he said. “The patients and staff members felt my photos reflected the tranquil atmosphere they were trying to create for patients undergoing radiation.”

Photography started as a hobby for Catacutan, but his work now has taken on a life of its own.

He has conducted several exhibits in conjunction with his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing. Last year, he held an exhibit at a local cafE9 and donated a portion of his sales to the Nurses’ Alumni Organization at his former college. Funds help pay for student activities, scholarships, and grants.

“As an undergraduate I benefited from an NAO scholarship and I wanted to give back to others,” said Catacutan, who was the recipient of the 2002 NAO Distinguished Alumni award.

His photos are a living testimonial to his vacations to destinations including Alaska and various national parks. They also serve as a means of escape. When Catacutan is behind the lens of his camera, it’s a brief respite from his job in the emergency department where a typical shift brings everything from gunshot wounds to serious illnesses.

Tickling the funny bone

Theresa Garnero, RN, always suspected she had a future in art.

Her mother produces ceramics and oil paintings; her grandfather is a sculptor.

Garnero, who works as a diabetes educator at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Calif., remembers getting her start as a cartoonist by receiving rejection letters from Walt Disney when she was 8 years old. The letters didn’t dispute her talent, but they claimed she was too young to join their workforce.

As she approached adulthood, Garnero discovered her passion in nursing and became a certified diabetes educator and an advanced practice nurse. She continued to produce cartoons for her own enjoyment and at the request of colleagues who wanted to run her illustrations in newsletters and medical journals.

Last year, Garnero was inspired to write and illustrate a book that offered patients a lighter look at the serious subject of diabetes.

“When people are first diagnosed with diabetes, they are inclined to fear the worst,” Garnero said. “The misconceptions about the disease are ubiquitous, and I saw there was a need for more positive and visually inviting information.”

Enter DIABETease, a fun 60-page paperback filled with colorful, comical illustrations and information about diabetes.