Ad campaign attacked as 'gratuitous sexualisation of nursing'

16 March, 2010 | By Victoria Thompson

A bus company in Worcester has refused to remove an advert featuring a “sexy” nurse wearing a PVC uniform, despite complaints that the image “demeans and devalues” the image of nursing.

The Worcester News revealed that the advert, which promotes a bus route between Worcestershire Royal Hospital and the city centre, has prompted numerous complaints.

Speaking to the Worcester News, Shaunee Irvine, a nurse and RCN steward at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, said: “Using this kind of imagery to portray nurses is clichéd and, frankly, an insult to the intelligence of most people, and it’s clear that it demeans nurses and devalues the nursing profession.

“Nurses object to the trivialisation and gratuitous sexualisation of nursing, not least because it can risk fuelling a mistaken impression of nurses among some people, and this makes our already difficult job even more challenging.”

A spokesman for the trust said: “A number of our nurses are upset by this advertisement which they feel presents nurses in a derogatory and degrading manner.

“We have asked that these advertisements be removed and we are very disappointed that the bus company has declined our request.”

Worcester News spoke to Diamond Buses who said the adverts were part of a “bright and positive” advertising campaign which had been shown to a group of nurses before they were used.

Readers' comments (37)

Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 1:34 pm
Upset by this advertisement?! You must be kidding...it is a bit of fun that's all.

Do these 'offended' nurses feel offence at programmes like casualty, holby and scrubs where nurses are quite often portrayed as incompetent baffoons!

There are far more serious issues taking place on the planet than a flipping bus advertisement!
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 1:48 pm
I completly agree with the above comment. Are there not more important things taking place in the world? I cant believe that people complain about such little issues. It would not even cross my mind to formally complain about such a thing.

Its how you portray yourself as a nurse individually and the care that you give patients that gives you the reputation you deserve, not a bus companys campaign that is using a little humour to advertise. People are being over protective over nurses and that is just as bad in my books.
Do these people that complain complain about evey profession that is advertised in such a way or is just nursing that requires complaints to be made about it if it is not 100% prim and proper. We live in the year 2010!

Honestly, what is the world coming to.
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 2:03 pm
I cannot believe the comments above! It is not an image that i appreciate being portrayed. It gives the impression that the nurses are nothing but play things that dress up to please their patients. Sorry i am by no means a prude, i enjoy a giggle as much as the next, i even chuckle when watching the carry on films, but nurses dresse in pvc with a clevage is not what we are - so i really do disagree with the above comments - where is your pride??
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 2:08 pm
I acutally think it is quite funny, what happend to a sense of humour. I expect that those poor patients travelling to their hospital appointments or to visit loved ones, are cheered up by this tongue in cheek send up.
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 2:16 pm
So where are the tongue in cheek send ups of other 'professions' on the buses then - where is the sexy police man - so we girls can enjoy ! Where is the scantily clad fireman - no - only nurses have to put up with this crap - how sick of hearing oooh matron will the staff in ED and outpatients be when they are busy and trying to concentrate on the serious job in hand.
If we didnt have such weak unions who cant stand up for us - and an NMC who would rather hang us than defend us - this sort of degredation of our professional image would not be allowed to happen.
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Dennis Emerson | 16-Mar-2010 2:21 pm
I agree with comments 1,2 and 4. Its a bit of fun.
However, as a male nurse, I feel discriminated against, as No one ever poses a "sexy" male nurse. ( I am not that sexy nurse). There are a few males RN that I work with that would give Mr America a run for his money! Yeah I'm a yank.
If we are gonna' fight lets do it for something meaningful, like overcrowding or access to care.
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 2:21 pm
im a nurse and i dont find this offensive at all, its quite funny really.
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 2:41 pm
YES ! IT IS QUITE FUNNY ! IT MAKES ME THINK OF THE CARRY ON FILM "CARRY ON DOCTORS" MATRON WAS REALLY FUNNY . MY VERY ILL PATIENTS WOULD ENJOY SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IT WOULD PUT A SMILE ON THEIR FACES. WE REAL NURSES , WE KNOW WHO WE ARE !!!
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 3:06 pm
i think people know that when they come into hospital we are not dressed like that and it is just abit of fun and nurses are respected for the hard work and responsible job they do, dont think an advert on a bus is going to change that.
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brasseye | 16-Mar-2010 3:20 pm
The advert is promoting a bus route to hospital rather than any product or service directly linked to the NHS or the nursing profession, and I think that gap should allow the bus company a little bit of leeway. Patients who take the bus to reach their appointments or for visiting the hospital for whatever reason will surely appreciate an amount of tongue in cheek humour. It would take an extraordinarily large step for someone to genuinely associate this advert with the reality of hospital professionals.

Now, if this image were adorning the back doors of ambulances, then things would have got slightly out of hand.
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 3:37 pm
Look I know there are more important issues to think about by the people who don't agree that this is offensive, but to those of us who DO find it offensive it's important to US. I'm with Anonymous of 2.03pm and 2.16pm - it is not a little issue if you don't like it. It's the profession as a whole I would like to see protected from this image, and being 2010 is no excuse to just roll over and accept it. I don't have time to fight the cause of other professions, they can do their own. I'm bothered about mine because I'm in it, and I'd like to see it portrayed as more professional than this load of bunkum and stereotyping nonsense from the dark ages. I don't like women in general being made out to be pieces of meat so female nurses get a double whammy. It's not acceptable, and the dirty mac brigade should stick to what they do best on the top shelves and leave us alone.
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Malcolm Chalk BA, RN | 16-Mar-2010 4:15 pm
I think she might make a reasonable band 7 - which Trust does she work for?
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Johanna Hamilton | 16-Mar-2010 4:28 pm
hmmm I guess as a Nurse I should take back the nurse outfit I got from Ann Summers, best not watch any of the medical dramas or carry on films, and I had better take my murder mystery game back then.
We had better ban anyone dressing up as a nurse to go on a hen night as I am sure their costume would be a whole lot more skimpy than that portrayed on the back of the bus.
I don't think the public percieve us as little nymphettes, and maybe we need to get over ourselves a little?
Just my opinion
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 5:12 pm
It is offensive to show nurses in this way. When I was a student years ago i was always annoyed by the male patients asking me to play strip poker, or making sexist comments. We are professionals. They don't protray newsreaders or doctors, physiotherapists in this way. It definitely demeans a profession which uses brains not braun to do the job. Due to this kind of attitude a student friend of mine had to suffer actual sexual advances when a male patient pulled open her dress revealing all her chest; if nurses weren't portrayed as sex objects maybe the thought wouldn't even enter the heads of males to do this. Many times when I said 'I'm a nurse' men's eyebrows go up and some comment is issued with the assumption that nurses will jump into bed with anyone. I never did, so they get this impression from such portrayals of us as on the bus.
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 5:27 pm
Well said Anonymous 5.12pm this is my experience also. What's done in private or temporarily/transitory is one thing (and bad enough) but this is a permanent fixture which they are refusing to remove despite objections. Malcolm - I take it you are being sexist? Not good I'm afraid if you are my friend.
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 5:27 pm
I can understand this arguement from both points of view! Nursing is a important profession, but at thde same time why be so offended by this particular advert? There has been far worse discrimonatory things towards nursing in the media in the past!
This is obviously a bit of tongue and cheek and we should all try to keep a sense of humour about it! I don't believe that the vast majority expect anything like that image when they come into hospital.
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Malcolm Chalk BA, RN | 16-Mar-2010 6:03 pm
Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 5:27 pm - No I'm not being sexist; I just find it all a bit ridiculous and my comment is facetious rather than serious; and I am sorry if it has offended. We should be concerning ourselves with the more serious issues of professionalism i.e. better working conditions and pay in relation to what we do - nursing. Those advertisments probably cost a small fortune, right wing economics at it's best or worst - depending who's side you're on. Just remember that when the Tories get in!
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Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 9:31 pm
My goodness! what has happened to the Great British sense of humour!..

There are far too many 'PC lefties' that complain about offending everythingand anything that walks these days, NO wonder we have so much stress and depression.

It reminds me of the carry on films, where we could look at something and say yes, its a bit 'tongue in cheek' but it made us smile..!
It seems so trivial to something we may see on Holby or Nurse Jackie etc.
Yes, we are professionals, but let us remember that we are also human too and so are our patients and clients.
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Malcolm Chalk BA, RN | 17-Mar-2010 2:39 am
Anonymous | 16-Mar-2010 9:31 pm - I think you really have got it wrong; there are far to many "granola knitting" right wingers whom don't want a national health, they just want the punters readies. Look at American health insurance, what a rip off.
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Anonymous | 17-Mar-2010 10:10 am
Anonymous 9.31pm your comment about the Great British sense of humour reminded me of when I went on a family holiday abroad a couple of years ago. We were having a lovely meal in a restaurant and the waiter brought me and my partner a digestif (after dinner spirit). At the bottom of my glass was a naked women with her legs akimbo and the bottom of my partners a naked man (he had obviously mixed them up). My young children sat opposite us wondering why I looked upset. I took the waiter aside and stated I was offended and it was totally inappropriate. His answer? "But you're British". Adverts like this one just perpetuates that attitude of the British people being smutty. Not so 'Great' after all.......
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