Nurses Fired For Viral TikTok Video

[Nurse Beth]

It's hard to believe nurses would record themselves mocking their own patients and then post it on Tik Tok. It's not hard to believe the video went viral, receiving 100,000 views before it was taken down.

Four L&D nurses at Emory Hospital thought it would be a good idea to create an "Ick" video where they go in front of the camera in scrubs, at work, taking turns mocking patients and complaining about what annoys each of them.
One nurse made fun of a patient refusing pain medication or an epidural but then claiming she had an 8 or 9 pain level. Another nurse mocked patients who come in for an induction and then ask if they can shower and have something to eat.

Some mothers who gave birth at the hospital in Atlanta viewed the video and are shocked. Hopefully the mother who asked "How much does my baby weigh?" before the nurse had a chance to weigh the infant did not see the video of the nurse mocking the new Mom.

All four nurses were swiftly fired by Emory. Some are saying it's heartless to fire them before Christmas.....but I think Emory did the right thing.

How do you feel about this?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

11 minutes ago, DoubleblessedRN said:

  I read that a patient who was very happy with the care she received went out of her way to give good reviews; if I were that patient and later recognized one of those nurses talking like that who had cared for me and my baby, but later saw that video, I would have wondered “is she referring to me?  Does she really care about the patients, or was it all just an act?”

And wouldn't you always wonder that, moving forward? "Is this nurse/doctor/NP going to ridicule me as soon as they get out of the room?"

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

It was unprofessional behavior. It’s harmful to patients, and to the hospital. No one would want to have their baby there. I think firing them was probably appropriate. I don’t know that disciplining them would have solved the problem. The new nurses coming in will definitely know the story and not repeat that behavior. They’ll apply for the job because they’re on the same page about it. I think this is just one of those rare cases where firing all the nurses involved is a good idea. I appreciate high standards and I would work there.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

My "ick" is nurses who taint our profession....

[MarkMyWords]

Agree. Do nurses mock patients in private? Do doctors?

[DoubleblessedRN, ADN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-P]

9 hours ago, MarkMyWords said:

Agree. Do nurses mock patients in private? Do doctors?

Yes, and I have heard some say terrible things.  I used to work on a unit, and there was a patient who whined a lot.  In the break room, nurses and other staff were laughing behind that patient’s back, mocking and imitating them.  One time, I even heard a nurse call a patient a helpless fat f***, but not to their face.  The nurse said it down the hallway, around the corner and under her breath.  Unbelievable.  And sad.

But back to the subject of those OB nurses, they give the profession a bad name.  Patients put their trust in us (many of them anyway) and subsequently, we lose trust and respect.  It probably changed some people’s feelings (particularly non healthcare workers) about nurses, and they may now feel after seeing the video that since those nurses acted like that, then all nurses must be  like that, which we all know they’re not.

[DoubleblessedRN, ADN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-P]

On 12/16/2022 at 6:18 PM, klone said:

On the other hand, could you imagine a group of lawyers doing such a thing? Part of the issue is a 22yo kid can be an RN. Undeveloped prefrontal cortex, and all that.

That’s what a lot of this all comes down to…immaturity.  All of those nurses in the video looked under 30 and probably had very few life experiences.  To me, the most disturbing comment on the video was the nurse’s rude and condescending reply when a patient wanted to know her baby’s weight when the baby hadn’t even been weighed yet.  I wasn’t there so I don’t know the backstory, but maybe it was the mother’s first child and she was so excited and thrilled with her new baby that she overlooked that.  People tend to jump the gun or say or do impulsive things when emotions are running high, and the birth of a child is a highly emotional event.  Or perhaps the mother had a long, hard labor or a difficult complicated delivery and was so exhausted afterwards that she couldn’t think straight?  Come on, have some empathy and common sense.

[esrun2015, MSN, RN]

Yes, Emory did the right thing. We all critical of patients but hopefully in private with our co-workers. But to put it on social media, that was not good. And to record it while working, well that is probably one of the main reasons they were fired. Don't record at work! But there is another account of a male ER tech who has been making videos for social media for years and he is still doing it. I quit watching him, it was "ick" (Steveioe).
 

[Margaret Bravo]

 I worked labor and delivery for almost 20 years. I had some doozies! There was some eye rolling in the break room with my coworkers, I'll admit. In 33 years of nursing, I've developed a thick skin and a DARK sense of humor. But to me, it's a woman letting down another woman. This video kind of violates "girl code" First- ALWAYS leave your institution out of it. They filmed at the hospital, wearing their name tags. Second- Childbirth is messy and emotional. It's Vegas. What happens in the room stays in the room. I don't care if you poop when you're pushing or levitate like Reagan in The Exorcist. I've got you. Your mother turns into "Mommy Dearest"? I've still got you. Your husband throws up? You're good, don't worry. I've got you yet again. I'm not going to try to appear like some wise old sage on social media mocking you when I'm two years into this profession and still a relative newbie at it. (All of the nurses appeared relatively youthful) Because childbirth is where women need to feel safe,protected,valued and thanked for letting people see their most precious, vulnerable selves. It's a privilege to be that trusted. I'm just so sad these nurses sold that sacred pact for 5 minutes of tik Tok fame. Having said that- I hope they move on and learn from their mistake-become the empathetic, empowering nurses that they are meant to be.

[mdsRN2005, ASN, BSN, RN]

On 12/20/2022 at 6:56 AM, FolksBtrippin said:

The new nurses coming in will definitely know the story and not repeat that behavior. They’ll apply for the job because they’re on the same page about it. I think this is just one of those rare cases where firing all the nurses involved is a good idea. I appreciate high standards and I would work there.

 

Very good point!  Quality attracts quality.  Sometimes you have to show what won’t be tolerated in order to attain a higher quality.  I would also be more likely to work somewhere with higher expectations, as well as to go there as a patient.  Having a mentality of expecting quality is the exact opposite of the “got a pulse” mentality referred to earlier.  A big part of the issue is being willing to hire anybody with a pulse then being surprised when this happens. 

[beckyboo1, BSN, RN]

12 hours ago, DoubleblessedRN said:

That’s what a lot of this all comes down to…immaturity.  All of those nurses in the video looked under 30 and probably had very few life experiences.  To me, the most disturbing comment on the video was the nurse’s rude and condescending reply when a patient wanted to know her baby’s weight when the baby hadn’t even been weighed yet.  I wasn’t there so I don’t know the backstory, but maybe it was the mother’s first child and she was so excited and thrilled with her new baby that she overlooked that.  People tend to jump the gun or say or do impulsive things when emotions are running high, and the birth of a child is a highly emotional event.  Or perhaps the mother had a long, hard labor or a difficult complicated delivery and was so exhausted afterwards that she couldn’t think straight?  Come on, have some empathy and common sense.

I thought the same thing.  This mother could've been totally exhausted or under the influence of pain meds. Pitiful time to mock her.  But the one that struck me was making fun of a woman who refused an epidural and pain meds but still rated her pain an 8 or 9.  Have these women not heard of natural childbirth?  Because she refused intervention, she was not supposed to have pain?  Yeesh, I understand frustration, I understand venting to a co-worker but filming a tik tok video?  I am appalled.

[kdkout, BSN, RN]

The saying “Do stupid things, win stupid prizes” came to mind

Being fired was absolutely justified 

[cgw5364, ADN]

Appalling behavior! In 30 years of nursing, I never "mocked" a patient. Have I complained about a patient? Sure, to my co-workers in our breakroom or after work as probably every nurse has done. The nurses who did this have something seriously lacking in their character to have done this.