Jackie Vance

If anyone has learned anything about live television talk shows, it’s this: DO NOT mess with nurses! The View’s insulting mockery of Miss Colorado’s Kelley Johnson’s monologue kicked off a firestorm of a backlash on social media this week.

Host Michelle Collins said that Miss Johnson “basically read her emails out loud and surprisingly did not win.” She then added that nurse Johnson treats patients with Alzheimer’s, “which is not funny, but you have to Google it (her performance),” meaning so all of us could see and agree with her insulting and demeaning evaluation.

Then host Joy Behar commented about Miss Johnson being in a costume and actually uttered, “Why is she wearing a doctor’s stethoscope?” Nurses by the thousands took to social media after this disaster with the hashtag #NursesUnite.

So much so that the show’s producers said, ladies, you all need to apologize or we in deep doo-doo.

So the next day, the hosts made an apology that was anything but. They said that we nurses didn’t “hear the conversation,” and that what was said was “taken out of context,” “misconstrued” and, “You all need to listen to what was said.”

Really? So now we’re stupid and can’t hear? (Guess we should chuck the “doctor’s stethoscope” since it won’t do us deaf nurses any good!)

Behar in her “apology” actually said that, well, she’s used to seeing contestants in gowns and bathing suits. Oh, please! You’re supposed to be a woman’s advocate and just because Miss Colorado appeared in what you labeled as a baggy costume instead of showing off her body in one of the show’s segments, you degrade and demoralize her?

“Ladies” (and I use the term lightly as “Harpies” seems more appropriate), if you’re going to apologize, do it. Otherwise, don’t dig a deeper hole.

So let me get real. There are more than 3 million of us. Multiply that by 10 if you include our wonderful and caring nursing assistants. We will be heard.

This is NOT my costume and this IS my stethoscope. We not only listen to heartbeat of America, we exemplify the caring, compassion and selflessness that is needed in this country.

Interesting, Behar has just announced that she is leaving “The View” to pursue a more intelligent show and talk about smart issues! Can I just say “oxymoron” — heavy emphasis on the “moron” part!

Oh, and one last thing: When someone hits the floor clutching their chest, someone will yell, “Is there a doctor or nurse in the room?!” Not, “Is there an ignorant loudmouth talk show host?!””

Just keeping it real,

Nurse Jackie

The Real Nurse Jackie is written by Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC, a 2012 APEX Award of Excellence winner for Blog Writing. Vance is a real life long-term care nurse. A nationally respected nurse educator and past national LTC Nurse Administrator of the Year, she also is an accomplished stand-up comedienne. She has not starred in her own national television series — yet. The opinions supplied here are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer or her professional affiliates.