Emory nurses fired over TikTok video mocking expectant moms at Atlanta area hospital as part of ick challenge goes viral leading to condemnation and rebuke over ‘tasteless’ post.
Four nurses working at an Atlanta hospital in the maternity and delivery ward have been fired after a TikTok video in which they recorded, mocking ‘expectant mothers’ went viral.
The nurses who weren’t individually identified worked for Emory Healthcare at Emory Hospital, appeared in a minute long video they recorded last week as part of the ‘ick’ challenge, in which employees complain about the more unpleasant aspects of their professions.
‘We already told you to push the call light,’ one nurse says in the since removed clip. ‘But every five minutes you have a family member coming to the front desk asking for something else.’
A colleague then enters the frame and does a sarcastic impression of a demanding relative.
‘Excuse me! Excuse me! Excuse me!’ she says. ‘Can I have some water? Excuse Me! Can I have a blanket?’
Be very careful of who you choose to make fun of
Another nurse who appeared in the video moans about mothers asking about the weight of their newborns while still holding them.
The delivery room derision drew a torrent of outrage and concern from online observers, many of whom said the nurses should not be denouncing those they are meant to be caring for.
‘Imagine saying these things with women at the most [vulnerable] moment in our lives,’ one poster said.
Mused another, ‘Hearing this from L&D professionals makes me sad because these are families going through something stressful and life-changing.’
While a woman who previously gave birth at the hospital posted, ‘That video has me so angry… like after given birth… Your not yourself and for them to do that breaks my heart… like OMG.’
Forced to contend with wide disarray, the Atlanta hospital released a statement condemning the former worker’s ‘lack of professionalism.’
‘This video does not represent our commitment to patient- and family-centered care and falls short of the values and standards we expect every member of our team to hold and demonstrate,’ Emory University Midtown Hospital said in part after the video circulated.
