First of all, thank you very much for your time concerning this matter.
Every year, Ocean City, NJ has an event similar to "groundhog day" but with a hermit crab named "MARTIN Z. MOLLUSK."
This year, the crab will be "checked out by Dr. Ernest Frankenstein and two nurses."
The following is a Media Advisory sent out (via email) by the city of Ocean City (to local residents and tourists-nationwide) which includes more of the information about the event to take place on May 5th.
As you can see when you read...much of this is "all made up and all in good fun" HOWEVER- do you think it is offensive to nurses and an objectionable portrayal to those in health-care!
MEDIA ADVISORY
WILL MARTIN Z. MOLLUSK SEE HIS SHADOW ON MAY 5?
WHO: Martin Z. Mollusk, Ocean City's relatively famous Hermit Crab
WHAT: Will attempt to see his shadow for the 37th Time
WHEN: Thursday, May 5 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: 9th Street Beach, opposite the Music Pier, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace
WHY: If he sees his shadow summer comes one week early to Ocean City much to the delight of visitors, merchants and the general populace.
DETAILS: (1) Dr. Ernest Frankenstein and two nurses will check out Martin on the beach to make certain that at 111 years of age he is healthy enough to endure the arduous creep (2) The Ocean City High School Band will play Pomp and Circumstance as Martin is carried to the beach (3.) The World's Only Wind Chimes Band of Ocean City will perform "Brother Can You Spare a Chime," now Number One on the International Wind Chimes Charts, (4) Some Enchanted Morning, Martin's theme song will be sung by popular musician Lew London and Suzanne Muldowney aka Underdog before Martin attempts to see his shadow (5) Big Mamma Llama of Bready's Farms in Tuckahoe will shake her head if Martin sees his shadow (6) Copies of Martin's re-issued biography, Rhyme and Punishment, will be given to those in attendance ( 7) Trash Buster, the City's Canned Crusader, will clear the beach of any litter prior to the creep (8.) Arrgh! The Air Circus Pirate will provide security for the event.
the center for nursing advocacy has died since sandy summers left and started the truth about nursing. she has carried on with the work of improving nursing's media image there at http://www.truthaboutnursing.org. they just had a conference about media images of nurses that i'm sorry i missed.
additionally, i asked sandy what she thought of this marvin mollusk event and here's what she replied. i quote from her email:
this morning i called mark soifer who is in charge of the marvin mollusk event. his name was in the media advisory posted on allnurses.com. we spoke for a long time. very friendly and thoughtful. i wish everyone i talk with about media portrayals of nurses was this thoughtful.
i told him who i was and what the truth about nursing does and then told him that i wasn't sure what he had planned, but from the media advisory, i was worried about them running into 2 specific stereotypes, the handmaiden and the naughty nurse. on the naughty nurse, he said the nurses will be dressed in scrubs and white lab coats, with or caps and masks. so it sounds like there's no reason to be worried about the naughty nurse.
on the handmaiden, he said the physician was going to listen to the crab with a stethoscope and then direct the nurse to give the hermit crab a (fake) injection of "searoids" to boost his energy. we talked a while about the handmaiden image of nursing and then he came up with the idea that he would have the nurse make the assessments, report to the physician on the crab's health status and the physician would go along with what the nurse recommended in the treatment of the crab. great, isn't it? that solves my concern about the handmaiden stereotype. the event should actually help nurses.
he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get video of the event, but he said if he did, he'd send it to us. and if i get it, i'll put it online.
please feel free to send me other media portrayals of nurses at [email protected]. i'll look forward to hearing from you.
back to me again, so that's great! she managed to get it taken care of with a phone call. she intervenes and gets media images improved all the time. i get her free news alerts every couple weeks.
if you haven't read her book you might want to check it out. it's called saving lives: why the media's portrayal of nurses puts us all at risk.http://www.truthaboutnursing.org/savinglives/
The Center for Nursing Advocacy has died since Sandy Summers left and started The Truth About Nursing. She has carried on with the work of improving nursing's media image there at http://www.truthaboutnursing.org. They just had a conference about media images of nurses that I'm sorry I missed.
Additionally, I asked Sandy what she thought of this Marvin Mollusk event and here's what she replied. I quote from her email:
This morning I called Mark Soifer who is in charge of the Marvin Mollusk event. His name was in the media advisory posted on allnurses.com. We spoke for a long time. Very friendly and thoughtful. I wish everyone I talk with about media portrayals of nurses was this thoughtful.
I told him who I was and what The Truth About Nursing does and then told him that I wasn't sure what he had planned, but from the media advisory, I was worried about them running into 2 specific stereotypes, the handmaiden and the naughty nurse. On the naughty nurse, he said the nurses will be dressed in scrubs and white lab coats, with OR caps and masks. So it sounds like there's no reason to be worried about the naughty nurse.
On the handmaiden, he said the physician was going to listen to the crab with a stethoscope and then direct the nurse to give the hermit crab a (fake) injection of "searoids" to boost his energy. We talked a while about the handmaiden image of nursing and then he came up with the idea that he would have the nurse make the assessments, report to the physician on the crab's health status and the physician would go along with what the nurse recommended in the treatment of the crab. Great, isn't it? That solves my concern about the handmaiden stereotype. The event should actually help nurses.
He wasn't sure if he'd be able to get video of the event, but he said if he did, he'd send it to us. And if I get it, I'll put it online.
Please feel free to send me other media portrayals of nurses at [email protected]. I'll look forward to hearing from you.
Back to me again, so that's great! She managed to get it taken care of with a phone call. She intervenes and gets media images improved all the time. I get her free news alerts every couple weeks.
If you haven't read her book you might want to check it out. It's called Saving Lives: Why the Media's Portrayal of Nurses Puts Us All at Risk.http://www.truthaboutnursing.org/savinglives/
Francine
Just as I doubt v. much that the original event would have given anyone (anyone with a quarter of a brain) a negative impression of nursing, I doubt v. much that the new, improved scenario at this silly, fun publicity/tourism event is going to convince anyone that they should think better of nurses than they currently do. However, if it makes people feel like they're accomplishing something to make a fuss with the organizers of the event, more power to them, I guess.
Just as I doubt v. much that the original event would have given anyone (anyone with a quarter of a brain) a negative impression of nursing, I doubt v. much that the new, improved scenario at this silly, fun publicity/tourism event is going to convince anyone that they should think better of nurses than they currently do. However, if it makes people feel like they're accomplishing something to make a fuss with the organizers of the event, more power to them, I guess.
But public events and the media do affect how we think. Have you heard about the CSI effect?
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
To ALL NURSES,
First of all, thank you very much for your time concerning this matter.
I live in Ocean City, New Jersey. Every year, they have an event similar to "groundhog day" but with a hermit crab named "MARTIN Z. MOLLUSK."
This year, the crab will be "checked out by Dr. Ernest Frankenstein and two nurses."
I am disgusted with all of this and hoping to have some assistance with having my voice heard about this.
The following is a Media Advisory sent out (via email) by the city of Ocean City (to local residents and tourists-nationwide) which includes more of the information about the event to take place on May 5th.
As you can see when you read...much of this is "all made up and all in good fun" HOWEVER- it is still extremely offensive to nurses and an objectionable portrayal to those in health-care!
Sincerely,
Mary
MEDIA ADVISORY
] WILL MARTIN Z. MOLLUSK SEE HIS SHADOW ON MAY 5?
WHO: Martin Z. Mollusk, Ocean City's relatively famous Hermit Crab
]WHAT: Will attempt to see his shadow for the 37th Time
]WHEN: Thursday, May 5 at 11 a.m.
]WHERE: 9th Street Beach, opposite the Music Pier, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace
]WHY: If he sees his shadow summer comes one week early to Ocean City much to the delight of visitors, merchants and the general populace.
]DETAILS: (1) Dr. Ernest Frankenstein and two nurses will check out Martin on the beach to make certain that at 111 years of age he is healthy enough to endure the arduous creep (2) The Ocean City High School Band will play Pomp and Circumstance as Martin is carried to the beach (3.) The World's Only Wind Chimes Band of Ocean City will perform "Brother Can You Spare a Chime," now Number One on the International Wind Chimes Charts, (4) Some Enchanted Morning, Martin's theme song will be sung by popular musician Lew London and Suzanne Muldowney aka Underdog before Martin attempts to see his shadow (5) Big Mamma Llama of Bready's Farms in Tuckahoe will shake her head if Martin sees his shadow (6) Copies of Martin's re-issued biography, Rhyme and Punishment, will be given to those in attendance ( 7) Trash Buster, the City's Canned Crusader, will clear the beach of any litter prior to the creep (8.) Arrgh! The Air Circus Pirate will provide security for the event.
]CONTACT: Mark Soifer, PUBLIC RELATIONS at 609-525-9300, cell 609-364-4010.
Oh, please. The Martin Z. Mollusk tradition cracks me up. So they're having a doctor and two nurses this year. I think we can find a lot more important things to get "het up" about than this. Like, you know, safe staffing.
If it wasn't such a long drive for me, heck, I'd be there myself!
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
The Center for Nursing Advocacy has died since Sandy Summers left and started The Truth About Nursing. She has carried on with the work of improving nursing's media image there at http://www.truthaboutnursing.org. They just had a conference about media images of nurses that I'm sorry I missed.
Additionally, I asked Sandy what she thought of this Marvin Mollusk event and here's what she replied. I quote from her email:
This morning I called Mark Soifer who is in charge of the Marvin Mollusk event. His name was in the media advisory posted on allnurses.com. We spoke for a long time. Very friendly and thoughtful. I wish everyone I talk with about media portrayals of nurses was this thoughtful.
I told him who I was and what The Truth About Nursing does and then told him that I wasn't sure what he had planned, but from the media advisory, I was worried about them running into 2 specific stereotypes, the handmaiden and the naughty nurse. On the naughty nurse, he said the nurses will be dressed in scrubs and white lab coats, with OR caps and masks. So it sounds like there's no reason to be worried about the naughty nurse.
On the handmaiden, he said the physician was going to listen to the crab with a stethoscope and then direct the nurse to give the hermit crab a (fake) injection of "searoids" to boost his energy. We talked a while about the handmaiden image of nursing and then he came up with the idea that he would have the nurse make the assessments, report to the physician on the crab's health status and the physician would go along with what the nurse recommended in the treatment of the crab. Great, isn't it? That solves my concern about the handmaiden stereotype. The event should actually help nurses.
He wasn't sure if he'd be able to get video of the event, but he said if he did, he'd send it to us. And if I get it, I'll put it online.
Please feel free to send me other media portrayals of nurses at [email protected]. I'll look forward to hearing from you.
Back to me again, so that's great! She managed to get it taken care of with a phone call. She intervenes and gets media images improved all the time. I get her free news alerts every couple weeks.
If you haven't read her book you might want to check it out. It's called Saving Lives: Why the Media's Portrayal of Nurses Puts Us All at Risk.http://www.truthaboutnursing.org/savinglives/
Francine
It's Martin, not Marvin. Sheesh. If you're going to go to the point of formally complaining about it, then get your facts straight. Some of us in the Delaware Valley respect the guy.
The rest of it was just plain foolishness, if you ask me. I mean, seriously, are people at that event going to think, "Wow, nurses really assess patients and doctors base the patient's treatment on the nurse's assessment"? Heck no.
There's something to be said for not taking one's self too seriously. Sometimes, in the effort not to look ridiculous, you end up looking ridiculous.
I mean, seriously, are people at that event going to think, "Wow, nurses really assess patients and doctors base the patient's treatment on the nurse's assessment"? Heck no.
Why not?
You are obviously willfully unable to believe in the power that public portrayals of nursing have on public thinking. Do you think the trillions of dollars advertisers put into their ads are all wasted? They don't affect our thoughts or actions?
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Sorry about that.
Why not?
You are obviously willfully unable to believe in the power that public portrayals of nursing have on public thinking. Do you think the trillions of dollars advertisers put into their ads are all wasted? They don't affect our thoughts or actions?
No, I'm just able to discern the difference between a real issue v nothing but a bunch of foolishness. You obviously know nothing about this celebration, from what I gather.
All this sturm und drang over a skit where nurses weren't even going to be portrayed in a negative sexual stereotype? I think you need to learn how to prioritize.
The Center for Nursing Advocacy has died since Sandy Summers left and started The Truth About Nursing. She has carried on with the work of improving nursing's media image there at http://www.truthaboutnursing.org. They just had a conference about media images of nurses that I'm sorry I missed.
Additionally, I asked Sandy what she thought of this Marvin Mollusk event and here's what she replied. I quote from her email:
This morning I called Mark Soifer who is in charge of the Marvin Mollusk event. His name was in the media advisory posted on allnurses.com. We spoke for a long time. Very friendly and thoughtful. I wish everyone I talk with about media portrayals of nurses was this thoughtful.
I told him who I was and what The Truth About Nursing does and then told him that I wasn't sure what he had planned, but from the media advisory, I was worried about them running into 2 specific stereotypes, the handmaiden and the naughty nurse. On the naughty nurse, he said the nurses will be dressed in scrubs and white lab coats, with OR caps and masks. So it sounds like there's no reason to be worried about the naughty nurse.
On the handmaiden, he said the physician was going to listen to the crab with a stethoscope and then direct the nurse to give the hermit crab a (fake) injection of "searoids" to boost his energy. We talked a while about the handmaiden image of nursing and then he came up with the idea that he would have the nurse make the assessments, report to the physician on the crab's health status and the physician would go along with what the nurse recommended in the treatment of the crab. Great, isn't it? That solves my concern about the handmaiden stereotype. The event should actually help nurses.
He wasn't sure if he'd be able to get video of the event, but he said if he did, he'd send it to us. And if I get it, I'll put it online.
Please feel free to send me other media portrayals of nurses at [email protected]. I'll look forward to hearing from you.
Back to me again, so that's great! She managed to get it taken care of with a phone call. She intervenes and gets media images improved all the time. I get her free news alerts every couple weeks.
If you haven't read her book you might want to check it out. It's called Saving Lives: Why the Media's Portrayal of Nurses Puts Us All at Risk.http://www.truthaboutnursing.org/savinglives/
Francine
Holy, moly, geez-a-lou. I am actually more embarrassed by THIS portrayal of nurses than any handmaiden or naughty nurse portrayal. Yeesh.
I used to work in the media, the way our agents handled these calls were with a very solomn "yes, ma'am, I understand your concerns ma'am, yes sir, no sir, I can assure you that it will all be very dignified, sir, ma'am" followed by a round of beers and a good laugh about those crazy pearl clutchers at the bar after work.
I didn't go out with them, they embarrassed me, but now the circle of embarrassment is complete.
I think some people have WAY too much time on their hands. And maybe not enough time spent thinking about their patients.
In the meantime, that poor ancient, elderly, addlepated mollusk has been drawn into this unseemly battle; hopefully this will not be his last memory of his time on earth.
Holy, moly, geez-a-lou. I am actually more embarrassed by THIS portrayal of nurses than any handmaiden or naughty nurse portrayal. Yeesh.
I used to work in the media, the way our agents handled these calls were with a very solomn "yes, ma'am, I understand your concerns ma'am, yes sir, no sir, I can assure you that it will all be very dignified, sir, ma'am" followed by a round of beers and a good laugh about those crazy pearl clutchers at the bar after work.
I didn't go out with them, they embarrassed me, but now the circle of embarrassment is complete.
I think some people have WAY too much time on their hands. And maybe not enough time spent thinking about their patients.
In the meantime, that poor ancient, elderly, addlepated mollusk has been drawn into this unseemly battle; hopefully this will not be his last memory of his time on earth.
Just because you create the media doesn't make you right. It's people like you who are responsible for the poor understanding of nursing. You'd rather laugh at people than actually listen to their concerns? I'm sure you're a great nurse!
nurse.sandi
250 Posts
To OP What do you think about Nurse Jackie? Oh my.