ETSU Documentary Makes Its Nashville Debut

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For neonatal nurse Amber Cook, sharing her story in NURSE: Empathy Heals meant more than showing audiences what happens during a shift. It meant honoring a patient whose memory she continues to carry.

“My part of the film is about one of the patients that has passed away recently,” Cook said. “It’s really important to me that I get to show him, show how his story went and to make sure that he’s not forgotten.”

Cook was among the nurses, filmmakers and community leaders who gathered at Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre on Oct. 21 for the documentary’s Nashville premiere.

Presented in partnership with the Nashville Film Festival, the evening was hosted by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and Highwomen co-founder Amanda Shires alongside her mother, a retired nurse.

The ETSU-led documentary explores the emotional realities of nursing through the voices of those doing the work. For Cook, participating offered an opportunity to make both the demands and meaning of her profession more visible.

“I really am glad that I get to tell his story and I’m honored to do that,” she said.

A camera crew, an early morning and newborn care

Cook described the unusual experience of waking at 5:30 a.m. with a film crew waiting to follow her to work.

“It was wild,” she said. “It was really interesting to wake up at 5:30 in the morning and have a whole crew waiting for you and then following me to work.”

Filming brought cameras into a routine normally centered on newborn care, daily assessments and working alongside fellow nurses. Adjusting to that attention was an unfamiliar experience for Cook and her colleagues.

For viewers, she said, those moments offer a glimpse of the everyday responsibilities behind her work as a neonatal nurse.

An ETSU alumna, Cook also found meaning in having her university support the project. She pointed to the many ETSU graduates working in nursing in Johnson City and across Ballad Health's Johnson City Memorial Center, describing the film as an opportunity to reach future generations and encourage better nursing care.

Watching the documentary, Cook said, she felt represented. While burnout is part of the conversation surrounding nursing, she believes the film also makes room for the purpose and connection that keep people committed to the profession.

Amanda Shires’ personal connection

Shires’ appreciation for nursing began long before the premiere.

At 18, she worked as a unit secretary in a pediatric intensive care unit and pediatric emergency room, giving her the opportunity to watch her mother care for children and their families.

“It’s incredible how nurses can stay calm in crisis,” Shires told Tennessee Trends.

Growing up, she saw how nursing schedules could shift with long rotations, unexpected absences and additional work. She also recognized the emotional demands of a profession in which patients’ lives and families’ well-being are at stake.

Her hospital job brought those responsibilities into sharper focus, allowing her to observe her mother’s work firsthand.

Asked whether the COVID-19 pandemic brought greater attention to nurses’ contributions, Shires said that recognition was overdue.

“I think it always should have been a louder conversation,” she said.

She emphasized her respect for caregivers who repeatedly return to help people at their most vulnerable. While patients and families eventually leave the hospital, nurses continue showing up for the next person who needs them.

“They get to keep on following their calling and I respect the hell out of it,” Shires said.

Bringing East Tennessee’s stories to Nashville

For ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland, the documentary reflects the university’s relationship with the communities and healthcare workers it serves.

Noland pointed to ETSU’s role in educating nurses, physical therapists, physicians and other healthcare professionals. He said the region’s experience with Hurricane Helene and its recovery underscored the importance of recognizing frontline providers.

“As our region went through all of the elements associated with Hurricane Helene, one of the things we wanted to spotlight was the role that providers, particularly nurses played in that recovery,” Noland said.

As that work developed, he said, a broader collection of nursing stories emerged.

“We realized that there were wonderful stories to tell about nurses across our region,” he said.

Noland described ETSU’s close relationship with healthcare partner Ballad Health as central to the collaboration. The project, he said, highlights regional partnerships and people whose everyday work affects Northern East Tennessee families.

“So much of this is spotlighting the people of a region, the partnerships across the region, and the stories of people who on a daily basis make a difference in the lives of the people who call East Tennessee home,” he said.

Bringing those stories to Nashville also carried personal significance. Noland, who previously lived in the city and attended screenings at the Belcourt, described returning for the premiere as a full-circle moment.

“I’ve pinched myself,” he said. “I can’t believe it’s happening.”

The emotional realities of caregiving

Directed by Chusy of Plan A Films, NURSE: Empathy Heals shares nurses’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters and the daily challenges of patient care. The documentary examines grief, resilience, faith and compassion, including the importance of extending empathy to caregivers themselves.

The film also follows nurses during a three-day digital storytelling workshop and a public screening as they develop first-person narratives about their lives and work. The process gives participants space to reflect, listen to one another and share experiences that can be difficult to discuss in clinical settings.

The documentary is part of the Nurse Narratives Initiative, an ETSU-led collaboration involving StoryCollab, the university’s College of Nursing, the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement and the ETSU Research Corporation, with support from Ballad Health. The broader initiative uses storytelling, educational resources and workshops to encourage empathy and connection across the nursing profession.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell delivered opening remarks at the premiere.

Attendees included Chusy, StoryCollab Executive Director Allison Myers, featured nurses Cherie Davis and Josie Rivers, and Ballad Health CEO and film executive producer Alan Levine. A reception followed at Anzie Blue.

Having seen the documentary, Noland said audiences should expect stories about the impact nurses have on others—and how providing care changes nurses themselves.

“I think what you’re going to see is stories of people pursuing passion and how that passion makes a difference in the lives of others,” he said.

His advice echoed Shires’ preview of the film.

“You probably will need some tissues,” Noland said.

Taking gratitude a little further

Shires hopes viewers carry the documentary’s message into their own interactions, particularly with people whose care has helped them through difficult experiences.

“We could do more as far as showing gratitude rather than just saying, ‘I’m grateful and thank you,’” she said. “We could go a little further."

For Nurse Cook, the film itself is a way of giving something back: sharing an honest view of nursing while preserving the memory of a patient who mattered to her.

Her story brings the documentary’s larger message into focus. Behind daily assessments, long shifts and difficult decisions are relationships that can stay with caregivers long after their workday ends.

NURSE: Empathy Heals began streaming Oct. 22 on Amazon Prime, Roku and other platforms.