News on Nursing in the Media
July 8, 2005 -- The Edmonton Journal published a fair
piece
by Jodie Sinnema on May 19 about the recent controversy surrounding the lyrics of a "Nurses' Song"
performed by University of Alberta medical students at their annual "Medshow." It seems that
nursing professors, the university provost, and even the medical school dean found something objectionable
about the song's assertions that nurses were "wh*res" and "b*tches"
whose "incompetence" threatened to "make our patients die." But at least
the medical students felt nurses were qualified to "fill up my coffeepot" and "give good
head," and the refrain urged nurses to "show me those boobs." The song seems to reflect
virulent misogyny, ignorance of
nursing, and professional insecurity, a perfect storm of dysfunction that persists in many clinical settings, harming
patients and contributing to nursing burnout and the global nursing shortage. To the extent the song and the
medical students' apparent non-apology are indicators of their career trajectory, it's bad news for patients
and colleagues. But the students' conduct does suggest that the business outlook may be good for local
malpractice and personal injury lawyers--and possibly even those who work in the criminal justice system!
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Sandy Summers, RN, MSN, MPH
Executive Director, The Truth About Nursing
203 Churchwardens Rd.
Baltimore, MD USA 21212-2937
office 1-410-323-1100
fax 1-410-510-1790
ssummers@truthaboutnursing.org
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