In Case of Emergency - A Must See Nursing Film

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

This is one of the most compelling films about nursing that you will ever watch with a free online screening that ends today 10/22. In Case of Emergency is a masterful documentary directed by Carolyn Jones with the Emergency Nurses Association’s support. The fast-moving 80-minute film follows 16 emergency nurses from seven settings across the United States to paint a startling picture of emergency departments stretched to the breaking point. Filming was done both pre and during the COVID-19 crisis. What you see in these EDs is a microcosm of all the nation’s challenges from access to care due to insurance gaps to gun violence to the opioid epidemic, and now COVID 19.

The nation’s biggest public health dilemmas play out every day in EDs, with emergency nurses picking up the pieces of support systems that don’t exist for patients, whether it be physical or emotional. Experienced ED nurses tell their compelling stories, including the seismic changes they have seen in their careers. Emergency departments in 2020 are not what they were even a decade ago.

In introducing the documentary, ENA President Michael Hastings, MSN, RN, CEN noted that “Emergency nurses experience things regularly that most people will never see, things that most of the general public would not be able to tolerate, yet ED nurses face it all with poise, professionalism, and an amazing human touch. This documentary will show our communities some of the challenges that we face day to day, COVID-19 or not, and provide some insight into our care settings. Most importantly, the film gives the public a true look at what essential heroes look like.”

This film will make you proud, but it will also make you cry. You realize the stress and burnout that ED nurses experience every day. COVID-19 has added an unbelievable level of chaos and disruption in these environments. Even the most experienced, battle-hardened ED nurses now worry about the long-term impact on their mental health and the potential for PTSD.

“In Case of Emergency” made its world premiere on Oct. 1 at The Boston Globe’s GlobeDocs Film Festival in Boston and is scheduled to be screened at the Chagrin Film Festival in Ohio beginning Oct. 6; the Heartland Film Festival in Indiana beginning Oct. 8; and the New Jersey Film Festival on Oct. 10. Additionally, the documentary has been selected for inclusion in the American Film Showcase’s 2020/21 season. The showcase is the premier film diplomacy program of the U.S. Department of State and the USC School of Cinematic Arts. I do not doubt that it will be an award winner that every American will want to watch.

Don’t let nurse leaders in your organization go without development in 2020. Virtual programs include Nurse Leader Coaching, Coaching Staff to Promote Resilience and Leading Teams in Turbulent Times or schedule your customized Nuts and Bolts of Nursing Leadership Virtual Workshop taught by experts for either new or experienced leaders. Nuts and Bolts Flyer

Read Rose Sherman’s book available now – The Nurse Leader Coach: Become the Boss No One Wants to Leave