Imagine a band of nurses in funny costumes bursting into a politicians'
meeting and launching into raucous song--about their working conditions,
their wages, and their bosses. It would be an attention-grabbing way of
bringing attention to the problems nurses face in health care, and
what can be done about them.
Hurl, Hemorrhage, Heal--The Nurses' Musical has proven that when it comes to
getting working nurses' message out, musical theater can more effective and
exciting than leafleting or picketing.
"The conventional things work, but not as well," said Maxine Armstrong,
treasurer of the 26,000-member British Columbia Nurses Union.
In the spring of 1999, the union's general council decided that the union
needed a creative campaign leading up to bargaining in 2001. The union had
done previous campaigns around nursing issues, such as the "Some Cuts Don't
Heal" effort, which challenged reductions in nursing jobs and wages.
But BCNU chose a different focus this time.
"We thought the theme should be around valuing nurses' work, not just in
terms of money, but in terms of the kind of work we do," said one of the
show's organizers. "It also uplifts the nurses' spirits, and is a way of
reaching the public and engaging the membership."
The union started with worksite-based campaigns.
"We looked at what nurses do," said the organizer. "Like how much time is
spent on non-nursing duties, like answering the phone or sending faxes." The
union also focused on the nurse shortage in Canadian hospitals, where the
average age for nurses is 47.
Next, the union needed to put together a show that would highlight those
issues. At the BCNU convention, there were storytelling workshops. In
addition, union officers and organizers traveled to the worksites again to
sit in on meetings and create storytelling circles. They listened as people
talked about why they became nurses and what work was like.
TALENTED MEMBERS
Then they needed performers. The union thought of hiring professional
actors, but when it put out the call for auditions, it found a lot of talent
among the membership.
Once assembled, the seven-member cast and their director put together a
collection of songs and choreography. After three weeks of rehearsal, Hurl,
Hemorrhage, Heal went on the road.
The show was performed 23 times across British Columbia during three weeks
in April and May. The all-nurse cast performed for other nurses, retirees,
and politicians and in community centers, schools, and yes, even theaters.
The songs the nurses perform tell of the nursing life and the need for
better wages and working conditions. There are also tunes to inspire pride
in the profession. An inspiring favorite is a feisty anthem urging the
Canadian government to provide better wages for nurses and to hire more of
them:
Money can't buy everything, it's true
Tell me that when you're turning blue
I want some money. That's what I want.
I want money.
I've quit the night shift, that is a fact.
Time and a half, you might get me back.
I want some money. That's what I want.
I want money.
Keep on treating me the way you do.
I won't be here when it's time for you.
I want some money. That's what I want.
I want money.
EFFECTIVE LOBBYING
BCNU's singing nurses once got an unexpected opportunity to perform this
number. While traveling, they discovered that British Columbia Premier Ujjal
Donsanjh was holding a breakfast meeting in their hotel. So they ran in,
sang their song, and then lobbied the premier to support a substantial pay
increase in the next contract.
Reaching out for support went along with every performance. On the back of
the show's program, the BCNU's "Programme for Change" urged audiences to
push their political representatives to support the nurses.
Each performance of the traveling show also received a lot of press
attention. "It got the media to highlight our problems, which is like free
advertising," said Armstrong. "This is really different for us, but it
really worked."
The union hopes to do some other activity as negotiations get closer.
Armstrong says the Hurl, Hemorrhage, Heal experience is encouraging.
"We now know that we have a core of nurses who have skills in the arts, and
who believe in the power of the art of social change," she said.
