Recently on the Miss America Pageant, Kelly Johnson, Miss Colorado, entered the stage wearing her nursing uniform and a stethoscope, while she recalled the moment she realized the impact of nurses. Afterwards, The View commented on her choice of attire saying that only doctors wear a stethoscope, and then mocked her talent piece. The show has since received a lot of backlash.
I wanted to see what some TCNJ Nursing majors felt about the comments made on The View, so I interviewed Madison Lacken, a sophomore at The College of New Jersey.
Me: “Madison, when you watched The View’s comments on Miss Colorado’s talent portion did you consider what they were saying demeaning towards the nursing profession?”
Madison: “Yes I do, because they were mocking her abilities of nursing like it wasn’t a real talent, claiming that she was just simply reading emails instead of telling her personal story about how she changed a man’s life through her profession.”
Me: “Nurses do happen to use stethoscopes quite often, if I am not mistaken. What kinds of things do they use them for?”
Madison: “Taking blood pressure, lung sounds, heart sounds, and bowel sounds. All important to check in order to make sure patient is healthy.”
Me: “Let me ask you one more question, what makes you want to be a nurse?”
Madison: “I want to be in a profession where I can actually help people and make a difference in their lives. A job that will be so rewarding that I will want to wake up each morning loving what I do and how I make people feel, just like Miss Colorado.”
After speaking to a nursing student who is so passionate about her major we hope that others appreciate them and all that they do. Thank you to Madison Lacken for allowing me to interview you, and thank you to all nurses (or nurses-to-be) for all your hard work and for truly making a difference.