Do we really want to keep this ‘Carry On Nurse’ vision today?
The decision of Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust and Chief Executive, Jan Ditheridge, in particular to refuse a £2,500 donation, seems to have met with universal opprobrium in the Star letter column.
Perhaps the decision was badly handled but beyond cries of ‘PC gone mad’, there has been no readiness to consider the wider issues raised by Jan Ditheridge.
No doubt the ‘lads’ were absolutely sincere in their money raising exploits but is it really appropriate to perpetuate a ‘Carry on Nurse’ vision of hospital life?
‘It’s all a bit of fun’ comes the retort but the same was said of the Black and White Minstrels television show that was so popular in the 60s and 70s. For those who don’t remember, the very white members of the George Mitchell Singers ‘blacked up’ and pretended to be happy blacks in cheerful song.
Would we tolerate that now in the 21st century?
I don’t know about the current situation in local hospitals but the sexual harassment of female nurses is not at all uncommon.
And while I’m not suggesting that the bed-push endorses that, it does project a flirty image of nurses in the guise of ‘honest’ fun.
The end, however worthwhile, does not in my view, justify the means.
Images are important because, even if they are trivial and seemingly light-hearted in themselves, they can often draw on and reinforce deeper seated and unwelcome social attitudes.
I recently had a short stay in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and if one puts those easy-to-reach words, such as ‘angels’, ‘dedicated’, ‘caring’, etc. to one side, what impressed me among the nursing staff, was the very high level of professionalism and technical expertise.
What is also forgotten is that a significant number of nurses are male.
Now there’s a thought.
P Pascoe, Shrewsbury
