TV ad has no one from my hospital

No Stars In My Eyes · Nov 6, 2014

Not surprising; everybody knows that 'real-life' employees are not acceptable. Not only do they not 'look' perfect, they might balk at weaving fairytales for PR purposes.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Nov 6, 2014

I always loved the posters splattered all around, of smiling photogenic nursing/medical staff; the women look like models and the men look like bodybuilders. Oh, wait, maybe that's becuase they ARE, lol.....

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Nov 6, 2014

HAHA it could be worse... I got employee of the month a few years back and they took all of us from that year and did photo shoots. Now we are on the back of city busses, in elevators, in news papers.... ugh!

HPRN

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Nov 6, 2014

kinda hard to set up a photo shoot in a busy ER. Think of it as it is - a marketing tool

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Nov 6, 2014

Is it even your ER in the background??

GrannyRRT · Nov 6, 2014

If the script they want you to read is unrealistic why would you want to be on camera saying that?

Why pick the ER? Is it better than the CVICU or Med surg with prettier people?

Would you like to be the face of the hospital if a fraud scandal makes headlines a week after the ad runs?

Doctors are reluctant to be in hospital ads because it could be their name and reputation which are affected if something happens to their unit. I remember this being brought up when a hospital was trying to recover from their transplant program being suspended.

One hospital I worked for as prn used a Radiology Technologist for a hospital patient care brochure. Nursing was upset and took the matter to the union. The brochure was pulled and allied healthcare professionals were made out to be insignificant in patient care. It divided the hospital and is still a bad work environment five years later.

You might be proud of your hospital but you may not have all the facts behind a million dollar ad campaign. You could be part of a PR scheme to cover for a scandal or the ad might be ran at election time for a significant property tax increase. Your neighbors will see your face associated with that even if you are not saying the words "give me more money".

You may not have control over the edited version or its purpose.

Emergent, RN · Nov 6, 2014

I remember the days when hospitals didn't advertise.The commercialization of healthcare is a bad thing, in my opinion. Back in those days it was illegal for both drug companies and lawyers to advertise on TV. I think those things are having negative impacts on our culture

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Nov 6, 2014

I've been photo-op'ed before; still on the advertisements although I don't work there anymore, not would recommend people to work there, lol...not sure I would want to be a part of a marketing tool ever again...

allnurses Guide · Nov 7, 2014

Our hospital used volunteers, and still shots in their ads. They use the local theaters to advertise; nothing like a night off at the movies and having to watch ads for the hospital. They have some serious PR issues.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Nov 7, 2014

I dunno--it may backfire. Nothing like a "thriving" ER when everyone looks 100% perfect. Well, it could be worse "heyyyyyy aren't you that nurse on the side of the bus???" Stalkers.....(No, I am not a real nurse, I just play one on an ad...." HAHA!!

TeflonNurse · Nov 7, 2014

Lol. That sounds like my old hospital and the new system I work for now . At the old one they put up pics of certain employees' giant smiling faces on the elevators throughout the hospital.

My new hospital has pics of real employees everywhere and has done so for years. Billboard ads, the monthly hospital newsmagazine, bus ads, ads on the sides of bus stops, even ads In the board of nursing newsletter. What's really neat is they seem to make an effort to honor those who have worked for the organization for years.