The Squeeze, Vol. 25: Care like crazy.
“Save one life, you’re a hero. Save a thousand, you’re a nurse."
What’s going on?
It’s National Nurses Week and these campaigns urge us to move beyond recognition to respect for the unsung heroes of healthcare.
West Coast University, a leader in healthcare education, partnered with Special US on “Care Like Crazy.” This campaign seeks to challenge a common misperception of healthcare: that it is a ‘soft’ industry. The goal is to redefine the way we value and understand care in our society—to garner the same deserved respect awarded to the military, firefighting, and professional sports. The frenetic spot features a montage of real nurses in high-pressure hospital settings to show the rough realities of being a nurse:
Another organization championing for change and employment in nursing is connectRN, the community platform that connects nurses with flexible work opportunities. Their campaign by Mischief, “unResignation Notice,” spotlights the 60% of nurses who have left the profession but would love to return if guaranteed safety, flexibility, and a positive environment. It’s based on the insight that nurses are trained to have a “don’t quit” mentality despite struggling themselves, and that they are ultimately changing careers because their own physical and mental well-being is suffering.
The campaign launched with an “unResignation letter” to healthcare leaders, signed by hundreds of nurses across a double-page spread in The New York Times on the eve of the January New York nurse’s strike. The letter can also be found on a dedicated website where community members can add their own names and share it on social to garner further support. connectRN’s CMO said:
“Our hope is this letter and campaign show you how difficult it is for nurses to feel like they can’t be their best: for themselves, for their patients, for their loved ones. Quitting is the last thing they want to do and giving them the mic to share their experience means a lot. And hopefully, creates change.”
What's The Squeeze?
Nurses need support and resources to take care of themselves— and in turn, more sufficiently care for patients.
As we honor both Nurses Week and Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important we recognize that caregivers are human too. They are increasingly prioritizing their personal and professional mental health, like most Americans are doing in this post-pandemic era. connectRN’s CMO added, “They don’t want to be heroes; they want to be heard and have choices. Feel support. Flexibility is a major way they can stay in love with nursing. We need to listen to them.”
As the nation’s largest healthcare profession, nurses are the most vocal in online forums, social channels, and in our SPM Brand DNA employee surveys. Their opinions are easily accessible and integral to both employer and consumer brands. This is because the pandemic has accelerated the degree to which U.S. consumers choose brands based on how well they treat their customers and employees. Several SPM Group clients have acknowledged this and are paying homage to their nursing staff via external media campaigns this week.
Navigating participation in National Nurses Week can be challenging considering 63% of nurses say the typical ways in which employers show their appreciation feel “patronizing.” As for gifts, last year connectRN asked nurses what they would like to receive from their employers and scented candles, gourmet chocolates, tea, and mugs were among the favorites. While each of us professionally contribute to National Nurses Week in different capacities, let’s remember to personally extend our gratitude to the nurses in our lives this week!
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