Nursing Through


Directed by Elspeth Vischer, completed August 2025


Nursing Through is a pensive exploration of where healers go to heal. It is inspired by stories and images of Dolores Black Neé Doherty, who trained as a nurse in the 1950s and worked again in both the Royal Victoria and Musgrave Park Hospitals in Belfast in the 1970s and 1980s. Through the memories of other retired nurses who worked in Northern Ireland during the civil conflict, known as The Troubles, we learn about the relationships formed in war zones and how care was provided to everyone in times of division. Archival sources paint a picture of these nurses at this time. Shots of bucolic spots around the North exemplify how important it was to escape the city’s hospitals and have a place of respite. This short documentary showcases the overlooked perspectives of those at the epicentre of conflict and aims to open up a crucially listening ear to nurses resilience and empathy.