Nurses Activism
Published Dec 16, 2005
http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/2005dec/mattel.html
December 2005 -- Mattel, the world's leading toy maker, has just released as part of its Furryville Collections (Series 2) a small doll called the "Nurse Quacktitioner."
Selling a doll called "Nurse Quacktitioner" would seem to reflect little regard for nurses or public health. That's because the name suggests that nurse practitioners (NPs) are "quacks," a term that has long been understood to refer to untrained persons who pretend to be physicians and dispense medical treatment.
What do ya'll think?
URO-RN
451 Posts
traumaRUs, MSN, APRN
88 Articles; 21,249 Posts
Disgusting!
Nurse Ratched, RN
2,149 Posts
It's a duck lol.
sirI, MSN, APRN, NP
17 Articles; 44,729 Posts
mrducksmrnotmr2duckscmquackmrducks
i sent an email to mattel today. hope to hear back from them.....
gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP
1,622 Posts
There has been a LONG diatribe on another list I am on about this - what came out of it was this -
Lots of puns, lots of jokes, some angry comments, the point that sexy nurse barbie did more damage to the profession than a duck ever will and the eventual determination that there are a lot worse things to get riled up about.
Frankly - Im just happy somebody at Mattel had actually HEARD OF a nurse practitioner! There are Doctors in Dallas who still don't know what they are! LOL
whiskeygirl, LPN
219 Posts
It is funny. However, I totally understand where you are coming from.
But really, the toy was intended to be a play on words, not to be offensive to NPs. And its a toy for kids. They won't make that kind of connection.
ayndim
462 Posts
At first I was offended. Then I thought that I, as an adult, was reading too much into it. It is simply a nurse practioner that is a duck who quacks. How many kids, who would want to play with it, know what the slang "quack" is anyway?
Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN
12,126 Posts
It's a TOY. I wonder how many real children are going to get offended by this?
It's a DUCK in a white nurse outfit.
(yet another reason why NA is not where i'd turn to for support.)
Balder_LPN, LPN
458 Posts
I really dont see how a Barbie or a Duck can "hurt the profession" its a toy after all. If anyone is really thinks a toy effects how their pt's view/interact with them, then I suggest they should explore some self esteem issues with a qualified therapist. Please, dont anyone take that personal.
I have actually prefered to have a NP for primary care since I was a teenager.
Now, if I show up for an appt and S/He is a DUCK, I'll be outta there, regardless of how my perceptions may or may not have been effected by a toy.
:rotfl:
angel337, MSN, RN
899 Posts
oh my goodness!!!!!!
Katnip, RN
2,904 Posts
I have to admit, at first I was offended until I saw that it was a duck. I doubt very much they intended it to insult NPs.
I wonder what other professions they've managed to portray with their little furry thingies. Any guesses?