ABC’s ‘The View’ got a lot of nurses riled up last week after comedians Joy Behar and Michelle Collins made dismissive comments about Miss Colorado, a Miss America contestant who shared a monologue about the impact of her job as a nurse while dressed in her scrubs and stethoscope for the talent portion of the beauty competition.
In response, tons of nurses sounded off, including Lake City resident Julia Tortorice. Tortorice, an RN, MBA, MSN, and Donna Thomas, RN, MSN, BHSEd, launched CEUfast.com, a continuing education platform for nurses in 2001. Tortorice writes for CEUfast’s blog, and once she heard Behar’s comments about stethoscopes being for doctors only and Miss Colorado’s scrubs being a “costume”, she felt compelled to pen an article entitled ATTN Joy Behar & ‘The View’: Don’t Mess with Nurses.
“They weren’t the first people to trivialize the importance of the nurse and all that we do, and they won’t be the last. Behar and Collins provided us with an opportunity to prove the exact point Miss Colorado was trying to make-- we are more than the lowly help mate of the doctor,” Tortorice wrote.
“We have often times been the difference between life and death, and we still manage to lend an ear to family, friends and patients, all in a day’s work.”
Tortorice’s words hit home with nurses, reaching over 256,000 people through Facebook and receiving thousands of shares, comments and views through social media. “My jaw literally dropped open when I saw how many people were responding,” Tortorice said. “But I am more moved that nurses are coming together. The things nurses are sharing with #nursesunite and #showmeyourstethoscope show that we are a big, strong, community who supports each other.”
Tortorice was so inspired, she started a 30 Day Nurses Stethoscope Giveaway last Friday, rewarding a nurse with a Littman Classic III Double Bell stethoscope daily for a month.
Hundreds of nurses have already entered the giveaway, but Tortorice is continuing to get the word out and she looking forward to nurses proudly taking selfies with their prizes.
She’s looking beyond the negativity from ‘The View’ comments, and sees this as an opportunity to highlight the profession of nursing as a noble, heroic, exciting profession that people should not only consider, but admire with great honor. Nurses can enter and earn up to seven times daily at https://ceufast.com/giveaway/
