Regina Wood is a staff reporter for Ragan Communications.
For the past two months, I've been responsible for finding all the videos featured on our health care site. I've seen it all: soul-wrenching stories about toddlers with cancer, inspiring features on elderly hospital volunteers whose smiles brighten up patients' days, and graphic in-depth looks at painful injuries.
But one type of video stands out above all others: hospital music videos.
Who knew that a hospital could be filled with so many singers, dancers, and wanna-be rappers?
Take a look at these five "creative" (read: slightly disturbing) hospital music videos—and tell us, what do you think?
"Bringing patients back"
This video and song to the tune of Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back" will send shivers down your spine. In the video, sinister-looking doctors and nurses care for frightened patients. A sample of the nightmare-inducing lyrics: "Sickly babe...you see these scalpels baby please behave," "She's burning up you gotta get her fast...get her on the bed," and "I'll let you potty if you just behave." You have to see it to believe it.
"I wash my hands for you"
Within twenty seconds, a man is featured wiping a toilet seat. This probably isn't the most pleasant way to start a music video, especially since it's about hand hygiene. A variety of props dominate the rest of the video. You'll see a jar of blood or cherries (I can't tell), neon goop coming out of someone's nose, sun glasses, soap bars, a workout room, and silly string. We weren't sure what was going to pop up next—a baby doll or a fake tiara.
"Bert Fish Hospital RAP"
You'll learn some valuable life lessons after watching this video, such as "remembering our lone enemy is negativity" and "teamwork is the key to be rock-steady like 300 Spartans in the battle of Thermopylae." This video, with its big block letters and cheerleading style dancing, reminds me of the TV show Barney.
"Heart health dance"
My first thought after watching this video: "Why are pregnant nurses dancing on an escalator? This doesn't seem safe!" Then, I realized both men and women were wearing big, fake stomachs. It was their way (slightly offensive, if you ask me) of raising awareness for the dangers of obesity. Luckily, the heart headbands and heart-shaped glasses add to the video's charm. Without them, the video would mostly consist of people nodding their heads, waving their arms, and waddling around the hospital.
"Volunteer rap"
The jingle for this South Bend hospital is very catchy. You might even find yourself humming along. But the background music, dancing and, most of all, the looks on the volunteers' faces freak me out. As a Notre Dame student, I go to school near this hospital. But if I break my arm next year, I'm going to the campus health center. I don't want to run into the 80-year-old man wearing gold chains.