strangeways, here we come: university of alberta medical students have something important to say about nurses--especially their breasts!
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!
I'm a nursing student at the University of Alberta and have many friends who are in the Medical program. I must tell you that many med students were shocked at the medshow that is put on by the "popular" crowd at the Medical School. The Dean was absolutely furious at the show, as was the head of the University of Alberta. There was no official apology from the students who coordinated the show, but the Dean of Medicine made an apology on their behalf.
I didn't attend this year's med show, but having attended past MedShows I can tell you this was not out of the norm as the medshow in itself is a very crude show insulting everyone and everything.
It was a horrible thing done by ignorant students who are still too immature to even be in Med School IMO (since I know some of them ).
I'm a nursing student at the University of Alberta and have many friends who are in the Medical program. I must tell you that many med students were shocked at the medshow that is put on by the "popular" crowd at the Medical School. The Dean was absolutely furious at the show, as was the head of the University of Alberta. There was no official apology from the students who coordinated the show, but the Dean of Medicine made an apology on their behalf.
I didn't attend this year's med show, but having attended past MedShows I can tell you this was not out of the norm as the medshow in itself is a very crude show insulting everyone and everything.
It was a horrible thing done by ignorant students who are still too immature to even be in Med School IMO (since I know some of them ).
A young woman who is a medical student at the U of A wrote to the Center of Nursing Advocacy expressing her dismay over what happened. I know that this should not be a representation of the other students at the medical school, your friends included.
The point is, that while the Medshow maybe by nature crude and offensive, these students crossed the line of acceptable. As far as I know, no nurses participated in the production of the show, which would put them in a position to defend themselves. From what I understand, the Dean of Nursing was pretty livid, especially over the fact that the students failed to give her an adequete apology.
I'm sure, however, that if the Dean of Medicine told them, "apologize or suffer the consequences," they would all be lining up at her door. If he's so furious over what happened, he should take action.
Sorry for the multiple posts. This one just really got to me.
Sorry for the multiple posts. This one just really got to me.
I was shocked that they took it so far, some of the quotes were unbelievable. I believe the University President also made a statement after the medshow.
I forgot to mention that future MedShows have been cancelled due to not only this skit but the crude nature overall. It was at the point where it just wasn't funny any more but rather insulting.
Probably the worst part of it, for me, is not the skit itself, but the fact that the students who were in the show did not apologize.
I'm sure, however, that if the Dean of Medicine told them, "apologize or suffer the consequences," they would all be lining up at her door. If he's so furious over what happened, he should take action.
Which would be... what? Other than pulling sponsorship (use of venue, etc) for any future program, I'd be surprised if any sanction were even possible. While I'm pretty weak on Canadian law, I do believe they have "free expression" protections similar to the US. Should some sort of punative action be taken by the university, I'd imagine it would take about a microsecond for a lawyer to block it and only slightly longer for a judge to agree to an injunction pending a hearing (or whatever). Since it's not a private institution, they're probably limited in those sorts of actions. (might even have something to do with the dean appologizing on behalf of the students). Seems to me you'd want to have the student org responsible for the show (not to mention the students themselves) to issue an appology. And I think that can only be done if they realize that some career-affecting fallout will occur if they don't. How to do that? I'm not sure, but the suggestions below might be a start...
I guess where I feel the Center for Nursing Advocacy should have gone with their ire is to go where they'd be more likely to turn the wannabe-MD's heads. For example, I'd have first gone to various physician-based organizations (preferably with a tape or at least a transcript of the entire show) and solicited their support. Get them to sign on to a petition or send their own complaints to whatever student org sponsors MedShow. I'd follow suit with other on-campus student organizations, as well as to hit up the Alumni. Graduating students might be more influenced by negative press with the organizations they're likely to join. Current students might be more shaken if funding for future events/sponsorship is threatened.
The other part of this has to do with context. I think it is disingenuous to have the anger narrowly focused. It just gives people the opportunity to conclude that nurses are cherry picking incidents out of context to bolster their cause. The show, apparently, is offensive to many in the medical profession. Why limit the response? Wouldn't it be just as powerful to say that the Center for Nursing Advocacy and the undersigned nurses take issue with MedShow on behalf of the entire medical community in general and the nursing community in particular? Wouldn't that make it so a broader range of individuals and organizations could join in the protest (ref above suggestion)?
I would love to see women's groups picketing this college....any feminists up in those parts up to organizing this?? I might even fly up to take part....
I also find it a tad unfortunate that there's an implicit suggestion that any thing anti-nurse is by default anti-feminist. Like I suggested regarding the general insult to the medical community, the insults weren't targeted just at women.
Perhaps I'm being overly analytic, but by the tone of the Center's letter and other individual comments I would suspect that it is assumed that those future MD's who put on MedShow harbor distictively prejudiced views of nurses. If that is the case, then I would also assume that any protest that came just from the nursing community would be seen as just so much noise. A broader based response that includes the very institutions and organizations that they either belong to or hope to join would provide a more effective wake up call. It might also give the MD's and other allied health orgs an opportunity to join in a unified effort that would be a start to changing everyone's attitudes about the nursing profession. Otherwise, I'm afraid that all this energy will be spent on trying to convince a public university to do something that they likely won't be able to do. It'll end up generating more heat than light.
To borrow a phrase from Dennis Miller - of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.
I just sent another letter requesting that these med students actually be held responsible. It seems that they're not even getting a slap on the wrist...
Specializes in Psychiatric, Home Health, Geriatrics.
That just goes to show how much extra time they have on their hands... I guess THAT is why some docs are so ignorant - if they spent their time doing what they should (studying), they might actually EARN our respect. This is exactly why I'm getting out of nursing: I can no longer take orders from some of them who don't have the intellectual ability that I have.
That just goes to show how much extra time they have on their hands... I guess THAT is why some docs are so ignorant - if they spent their time doing what they should (studying), they might actually EARN our respect. This is exactly why I'm getting out of nursing: I can no longer take orders from some of them who don't have the intellectual ability that I have.
It's sad that the nursing profession has lost so many great nurses due to disrespect. And this is probably one of the reasons so many nurses leave after their first year.
Is it wrong that I'm actually vaguely amused by that? Maybe it's just that I come from a culture where hazing is a sign of affection. Anyway, who wants to help me write a song about inept med students; perhaps the resident who would've cut off the entire tip of an infant's member, if the nurse hadn't been there?
I have to wonder where this view of nurses comes from...could it be from the stubbornly irresponsible ,unresponsive media portrayals of nurses as oversexed bimbos who are brainless imbeciles?
Keep writing letters, nurses...advocate for nurses...and boycott sponsors of bimbo-istic, servitile nurse images!
I have to wonder where this view of nurses comes from...could it be from the stubbornly irresponsible ,unresponsive media portrayals of nurses as oversexed bimbos who are brainless imbeciles?
Keep writing letters, nurses...advocate for nurses...and boycott sponsors of bimbo-istic, servitile nurse images!
Speaking of media portrayals of nursing, have any of you seen "Grey's Anatomy," which takes the cake for the most hateful portrayal of nursing ever? The image of nurses this show depicts is so nasty, I almost think it's deliberate.
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wonderstars
15 Posts
I'm a nursing student at the University of Alberta and have many friends who are in the Medical program. I must tell you that many med students were shocked at the medshow that is put on by the "popular" crowd at the Medical School. The Dean was absolutely furious at the show, as was the head of the University of Alberta. There was no official apology from the students who coordinated the show, but the Dean of Medicine made an apology on their behalf.
I didn't attend this year's med show, but having attended past MedShows I can tell you this was not out of the norm as the medshow in itself is a very crude show insulting everyone and everything.
It was a horrible thing done by ignorant students who are still too immature to even be in Med School IMO (since I know some of them
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