Several years ago, I worked as a nurse manager for a satellite office of a local hospital.
It was a job that I really enjoyed because there was a lot of
diversity -- filling in for staff, meeting with physicians to help promote programs for their patients, ordering new equipment, and general day to day problem solving. I was a jack of all trades, as most nurses are.
However, I was soon to have one extra job on my agenda that particular day, which was above and beyond any nurses's imagination.
The day started out like any other. When I got to the office there was the usual routine of assuring that the doctors' schedules had been posted and that there was sufficient staff to work with each one. Our medical clinic shared space with the oncology outpatients from our hospital and there was sometimes a squeeze for exam rooms.
On this particular day, I was faced with more than exam room issues. I noticed some unusual paraphernalia in the halls that resembled television cameras. As I was walking through this maze of equipment, I was stopped by the oncology nurse manager who said she had an urgent request.
After settling the patient I was attending to, I went back to see what she wanted. She informed me that the hospital was filming a public service commercial to let everyone know about our outstanding oncology program. They decided that it would be easier if they shot the commercial at the clinic, rather than the hospital.
I said, "Well, I guess we will do our best to work around this and still be able to promote patient safety." Besides, we did have an unusually light schedule that day.
Then she told me that the nurse who was originally slated to be part of the production had backed out at the last minute. She asked me if I would be kind enough to STAR as the nurse in the commercial.
I don't quite remember my initial reaction, but I must have been dumbfounded! I was in our church drama group, but filming a commercial for national television was beyond my acting ability.
I was quickly assured by the director of this production that my lines would be very few, and that unlike my live drama performances, we could easily do retakes.
Duty called! How could I say no?
I suddenly realized what I had done. What did I look like today? Had I known I was being filmed I would have had my hair done or worn my best uniform. Oh well, I guess they would just get the real me.
After my initial shock subsided, I was introduced to a lovely lady who was a cancer survivor -- the real star of the show. We were told our lines, and introduced to the lights, cameras, and action.
It was quite an exciting experience and an honor once the ball got rolling. As the normal work hours started to wind down, a few more members of the staff were recruited for scenes that required hallway activity. It was a long day for just a 60-seond commercial, but during the down time I was able to engage in conversation with this patient and her family. They were a tremendously fun group.
It wasn't long before the commercial started to appear on television. It was great fun when I ran into a friend, who said she had been getting ready for work when she heard a familiar voice coming from her television. She couldn't believe who she saw when she looked at the screen. Or when my sister told me that my niece from California phoned her and said she saw a
nurse on a commercial that looked and sounded just like her aunt.
No, I never received fame or fortune, but did have an experience I will never forget. You just never know what may suddenly happen to you during an otherwise ordinary day.
