The dancing nurses mystery

Focus must now be on healing – not performing

- by JACQUI DEEVOY

IN the spring of 2020, as the world grappled with what many believed to be an escalating pandemic, a peculiar trend exploded across social media.

Videos showing nurses, clad in scrubs, performing elaborate dance routines in eerily empty hospital corridors went viral on TikTok.

To the upbeat strains of The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' and the hypnotic rhythms of South Africa's 'Jerusalema', these dancing nurses twirled, shimmied and even twerked, many of their moves polished to near-professional levels.

What was meant to be a morale booster amid unimaginable stress soon sparked unease, suspicion and downright outrage. Were these genuine acts of levity from exhausted staff or something more orchestrated – perhaps some kind of psychological operation to normalise the abnormal? And, crucially, did they breach the very ethical standards that nurses are required to uphold?

Some journalists and researchers took time to look into the phenomenon and ask questions about the origins and implications of these videos.

One study comprised a rigorous academic analysis of the videos' content, revealing a tapestry of professional lapses, public manipulation and unresolved mysteries.

By examining the slick production values, ethical red flags and broader cultural context, it was discovered that these dances didn't just entertain, they may also have eroded trust in healthcare at a time when it was needed most.

The trend burst onto the scene almost overnight. One day in early 2020, there were no such videos; the next, they flooded feeds.

UK newspaper The Guardian somehow celebrated them as a heartwarming escape, with headlines proclaiming 'NHS staff performing TikTok dance routines to keep morale high'.

A dermatologist redeployed to a covid ward, Dr Walayat Hussain, tweeted a clip of his team's routine, captioning it: “I'm definitely not a bad influence on the ward... Fantastic team on J19. Work hard, play hard.”