Image: Daniel Sroga | © Veer Incorporated
Summer is here, but that doesn’t necessarily mean our schedules are any less hectic. My kids are out of school and I’m taking a summer break before completing my RN to BSN program in the fall, but I’ll be teaching an ER nurse course next week and a football injury class in August. I’m also working on articles for two different journals and laying the groundwork for an IV study in the fall. I’ve volunteered for the medical team at the Special Olympics here in Lincoln, Neb., this summer, and of course I’ll be working my night shifts in the ER. To say I have the summer “off” is laughable!
Does your summer sound like mine?
It definitely feels like summer calls for a special treat. To all of my fellow nurses I offer my favorite videos. That is to say, my favorite medical- and nursing–themed nuggets from YouTube and elsewhere on the Internet. I present them in the spirit of fun and encourage you to share the links with others. Enjoy!
1. ER Nurse Rap
2. Scrubs musical number – “Everything comes down to poo!”
3. Glottal Opera
4. An Horse’s music video, “Postcards”
5. The award winning HBO movie, Wit
Video #1: Weirdest thing you’ve seen in the ER? How about rapping nurses…
1. ER Nurse Rap
The story of this, as I understand it, is that the University of Alabama Hospital challenged each of its departments to prepare a video to recruit nurses for their unit. The ER came up with this. I think they pretty much took the game, set and match with this entry. If anyone knows of an “ortho nurse rap” that’s a viral video hit, please let me know.
Only nurses could sing and dance to the tune of poo…
2. Scrubs - “Everything Comes Down to Poo”
An Horse: “Postcards” music video
Alas, NBC’s (and then ABC’s) Scrubs has been cancelled. Toward the end, I think I was the only person left in the country who still looked forward to each new episode. This may not be Turk and J.D.’s finest moment, but who can resist a good song about a stool sample?
This next video is not for the squeamish (perhaps your favorite kind?)
3. Glottal Opera
Okay, so this one isn’t on Youtube, but I just had to include it. If you’ve ever wondered what your NG tube sees on its way down your patient’s throat, the “Glottal Opera” shows you in a most oddly beautiful way. Don’t miss the final quarter of the video, which is its own sort of mini “making of” documentary.
Next, a fun and delightfully bouncy way to learn the human structure…
4. An Horse: “Postcards”
I’m an oddball in that I very much enjoyed working with cadavers in my undergraduate anatomy class. I jumped at the opportunity to be an instructor in an anatomy class a few months ago, guiding students with awe and amazement through the structures of the human body. This music video shows the process in reverse, set to the song “Postcards” from Aussie indie pop band An Horse.
Finally, the video that every nurse must see…
5. Wit
If you’re not familiar with this remarkable HBO film, perhaps these promotional spots (one short, one long) will pique your interest. This drama, which has won an Emmy, a Pulitzer and a Peabody Award, features Emma Thompson as a cancer patient. It’s one of the best films about the importance of nursing care ever made. It’s available on DVD and should be required viewing for nurses everywhere. If you haven’t seen it yet, I have the pleasure of introducing you to an experience that will make you a better nurse.
Short version:
Long version:
What’s your favorite nursing video? Share the link in our comments and head over to Scrubs Mag’s YouTube channel to discover more favorites!
I think nurses are trying to do too much in too little time and their focus is not on the patients they are caring for….no wonder there are so many medical mistakes! I cannot believe what I see and hear when I HAVE to go into a hospital to visit someone, have tests, etc….”I had CT Scan and the results showed need for referral to cardiologist”….nurse called back…”I can’t find any echo on you”…..duh…I didn’t say echo…I said CT scan….was that so difficult…Why not do less and focus more and concentrate and stop killing people like my husband!
Rhona, I am very sorry for your loss. The good Lord came and took him from you, it was his time, no ones fault, no one to blame. He now enjoys the beauty of heaven and wants you to let this go and live until that very day when you will see him again. Nurses are definitely overworked, but it is hospital administration that should evaluate staffing and make changes.
I can see this being a Broadway Hit Play!
Rhona: John is correct. Things that nurses do or do not do, most likely we are instructed to follow. Nurses care for the patients the best way possible given the restrictions; ex. staff is cut when patient census drops, medical care reform bills decrease available supplies and give nurses higher nurse to patient ratios, many patients seek care too late, some mistakes are made because the nurse/staff member is over worked or too busy to notice fine details, etc. Death of a loved one is difficult to accept, especially if they die in a hospital. Unless an investigation is done to prove negligence in your husband’s death, please do not allow your anger to trickle to other staff/nurses. Even if the hospital is responsible, please consider, your experience is not a common problem, and hospitals will learn from the mistakes made to prevent it happening it again. Our society is bond by human and technology, both are infallible. The media focuses on the rare occasions where deaths occur, getting the viewers uptight and fearful. So when patients come to the hospital, they feel their life is over. I hope you do not let this prevent you from seeking medical care, but question everything, if not for your understanding then for your safety in helping that staff member or nurse from preventing an error.