An open letter to the #NursesUnite movement

[TriciaJ, RN]

Playing with the other side of the fence, here.

There are those of us who don't have any recourse but to simply "suck it up." We don't like it, the door is there, but good luck finding someplace that doesn't have the same attitude without moving out of state. And when there is family involved, that suddenly becomes very difficult.

The average person doesn't see, hear, or even get some of the bigger issues that nurses face on a daily basis. Patient violence? Call security or the cops, that's what they're there for. Safe staffing? Lateral violence? Ratios? These are all topics that I have discussed with my non-healthcare family. My husband still doesn't get it, and I've had years to try and explain it all. The responses all boil down to the same thing: then why stay there? (Here, let me show you all the publications on these topics, family.)

Then, suddenly, somebody comes out onto the national stage, says her piece, and is skewered by a daytime talk show that is full of ignorance or trying to be funny. Possibly both. And "aha!" Said a nurse. "This could be the opening that we need to get our voices heard!" A hashtag is born, and, like everything else these days, takes on a life of its own...then has baby hashtags.

Less than a minute to take, post, and tag a selfie, so do it while a chart is loading. Does it do anything? Probably not, outside of making the poster feel involved. Feel heard, and maybe even feel valued beyond the fragile lip service that is so often all that is given from others.

I've listened to everything, several time over. And while I don't feel the same about the general topic of Alzheimer's patients, I really identify with the idea that I'm not "just a nurse."

There are several ways that I cam see this going. One, like most things, it will fizzle out. Two, it will become a new status quo. Or three, we can use the platform that has stayed to open up to us and claim it. Make it our own. Nurses are uniting, but over what? A piece of equipment? Or being given a chance to be heard without any apparent backlash?

I posted my comment before I saw this post, but it sums it up way better than I did.

[Emergent, RN]

I finally viewed the offensive commentary. I don't even know who these people are, the women on the show seemed lowbrow, coarse, and obnoxious. I don't care what they think.

The show appears to be stupid.

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

There are 55,000+ signatures on the petition to Disney Corp and the View at change.org demanding an apology.

I would like to see #nursesunite write a petition requesting legislation for Federally mandated nurse patient ratios.

[Emergent, RN]

Yes, who cares about The View? Twitter and Facebook campaigns are all hot air. People like and share, then wait for their canonization.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I finally viewed the offensive commentary. I don't even know who these people are, the women on the show seemed lowbrow, coarse, and obnoxious. I don't care what they think.

The show appears to be stupid.

And yet, The View has been on the air continuously since August 1997. It appeals to the lowest common denominator in American society, and people keep watching year after year because it seemingly causes something to resonate from deep within.

Whether we realize it or not, viewers love insults, coarseness and put-downs. For some people, negativity causes a temporary ego boost.

[nurseactivist]

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/provide-federal-legislation-nurse-patient-ratios

If you decide to sign, you have to confirm your signature in your email.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

I finally viewed the offensive commentary. I don't even know who these people are, the women on the show seemed lowbrow, coarse, and obnoxious. I don't care what they think.

The show appears to be stupid.

Yup. But some of those memes are pretty darn funny! They make a great distraction from all the human suffering I witness on a regular basis.

[nurseactivist]

I sent this email to my congresswoman and senator.

I previously described the issue of Miss Colorado, RN being disrespected by the TV show The View. Hosts asked why the nurse was using a "doctor's stethescope" and called scrubs a "costume." Since Monday a facebook page has been set up: "show me your stethescope" and it has 708,000 members, mostly nurses. Multiple ad companies have pulled their ads from The View. It is not wise to infuriate the nurses. (Working on getting nation wide nursing ratios).

[greenerpastures]

I felt the same way. Why can't we unite to do something good for ourselves? I received an email from National Nurses United to check out there push to send letters to my senators to support national ratios. I reposted it on a webpage with the hashtag Nurses Unite, hoping that others would review it. If we can get senators to support us nationally, maybe we could get some change. We are one of the largest work forces in the country. If we joined together, we'd be unstoppable!

[nursel56]

Nurses will never unite. Depressing but true. They might want to, but they won't. The turf-guarding behavior in nursing is embedded in the system. An example that comes to mind would be the mandated ratios in California where both LVNs and RNs fought the good fight.

The law defines a nurse as "LVN or RN" and all ratios apply to both. As a result of the successful ratio campaign the NNU (National Nurses United) was born. Their new union excluded the LVNs who were in the trenches beside them. Stuff like that tends to make people resentful and not inclined to unite.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

There are 55,000+ signatures on the petition to Disney Corp and the View at change.org demanding an apology.

I would like to see #nursesunite write a petition requesting legislation for Federally mandated nurse patient ratios.

The same Corporation who in fact goes to various facilities and teaches us "customer service" their way?!

Until we have nurse leaders that are invested in changes, who are held to the standards of a business as opposed to what is safe and right, things will be the same old, same old.

Unfortunetely, the suits who collect the profits are vastly uninterested in anything but #whereisthemoneyhoney

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Some of the selfies in the Show Me Your Stethoscope group- eek. Not all of them, or even most of them. But a few of them.

Advertisers are pulling their sponsorships, so it's definitely making an impact.

The View: Advertisers Exit After Miss America Nurse Monologue Joke Backlash : People.com

I agree, it would be amazing if we could get nurses to unite for safe staffing.