So the battle continues. It’s not pretty, and it’s surely not an easy-decision. It seems that opinions continue to vary on the ‘like’ ‘not-like’ factor of Nurse Jackie and Hawthorne.
From Twitter:
I won’t rehash what has already been said by my fellow blogger’s and myself. What I’d like to discuss is why so many nurses are against Nurse Jackie. I’d like to ‘clear the air’ so-to-speak for any reader who wonders what there isn’t to like about this controversial show.
Being a nurse is tough. The job itself imposes some serious demands, physically and emotionally. But we nurses have to not only do our job, but we have to defend our job, defend our profession, and many times prove our worth as a health care professional. As a nurse I actually have to seek professional respect. Respect from other healthcare professionals (this list is endless: physicians, physician assistants, allied health care workers) as well as respect from the public.
For some reason public opinion of nurses, while complimentary at times, is extremely warped overall.
I’ve talked about this before:
- Try searching the term. The very definition of a nurse is distorted.
- Most don’t understand the hardships and challenges we face daily.
- We’ve evolved as a profession and as professionals. We have to learn at a much faster pace in this day and age.
- Being a nurse affords you an endless amount of opportunity that is only limited by your effort.
- Unless you’ve needed a nurse and know one personally, you really haven’t met one.
As you can see we nurses have to fight everyday to give ‘our name’ its due respect. It’s not enough that we do it everyday at our job, at the bedside, in the hospital, in the office, in our homes. We have to fight this battle on a much large playing field that is definitely not equally balanced. It’s us, the singular and real, against them, the over-inflated and incorrect.
It’s the media. It’s TV and the movies. HOLLYWOOD. They are the sources of this twisted opinion. Which is why a lot of nurses are not supporting Nurse Jackie.
Yes, I think we all understand that it’s a TV show. Yep, we got it. We know it’s not real. Yep, we caught on to the idea of dramedy gets ratings. Yep, we fully comprehend the notion that you’re not out to ‘educate’ the public on what a nurse does, what a nurse is, and what nurse are.
Here’s the problem.
This TV show is the only thing some have to equate to the real thing.
Doctor’s don’t have this problem. And, I know some reflexive reactions will be, "Well Dr. Gregory House is no role-model. You don’t hear the physician community up in arms". My rebuttal would be. Doctors already were established in Hollywood. They already had good role models for comparison. Do you remember Dr. Greene from ER? Or how about the outstanding physicians and surgeons from St. Elsewhere, or Chicago Hope? The list is endless.
Oh and with those TV shows, do you even remember seeing nurses? How were they portrayed? (Do you even see nurses on House??)
Off the top of my head, there are other healthcare professionals that have had good clout. They didn’t need to defend themselves against a bad image because Hollywood started on the right foot. I believe Paramedics had Third Watch?
Once again, let me repeat, I KNOW. It’s TV. It’s not real, but lets think about the non-professionals out there. The ‘lay-man’ so-to-speak. Where do you think these off-the-wall ideas stem from when referring to Nurses?
Case in point: One of the scenes for the preview of HawthoRNe has a scene of a male patient snickering at the introduction of his new nurse, a male nurse. He mistakes him for a doctor, and chuckles that he is a male nurse.
Were you aware that men, even though they are truly a minority, have been in nursing for centuries?
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone understands and knows what a nurse and what nursing is. Their first dose of it is coming in the form of a drug-addicted cheating wife who breaks the laws of the world in the ‘name’ of doing good??
Seriously.
People’s perception is their reality. No matter how warped one’s perception may be, it’s what they take as ‘real’ or ‘true’.
So now do we nurses have to defend our image locally and on a personal level everyday at work, we now have to contend with Nurse Jackie and her like.
I’d like to confess that I was a supporter of HawthoRNe, and I was choosing sides early. After seeing the first episode last week I readily withdraw my choice. It seems that HawthoRNe also is guilty of ‘buying into’ the hype, the media, and wanting TV ratings. The first episode has a ‘naughty-nurse’ scene with a male patient. Although there was no actual scene of sexual misconduct, it is easily deduced that this particular nurse did more than what was required.
Once again, I and many other nurses pound their heads against that wall.
I guess the question remains how can the public be entertained and informed on the nursing profession without losing respect?
I can only imagine what’s in store for us with Mercy
The quest continues.
Tags: hawthorne, hollywood, mercy, nurse, nurse jackie
A great post! Hits the nail right on the head.
@ RehabRN Thanks. I had to keep it short.
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This comment was originally posted on Twitter
That’s always been my argument – there’s no balance of the nursing shows, just shows that depict nursing as a grunt job with constant frustrations, physical and emotional toils, and zero respect. I actually kind of liked HawthoRNe. Cheesy, yes. But it’s thought provoking, it makes you think about the situation and what you would do, and the characters are interesting and seem to toil with life’s difficulties.
What I’d like to see is them try to get the hospital they work at on the show to Magnet status (or make up a name, but referring to Magnet) to improve the way things are for nurses there. When I watched the show, I just thought, geesh, no way I’d work there…
PS – I got a sneak peek at the script from Mercy, not that bad, more of the same – work is hard, nurses are either burnt and mean or doey eyed and naive. But, it also has some strong points and most characters are nurses.
@ KatieBeeRN Yes we definitely need some balance. I’ll be watching Mercy to size it up.
Strong Work! Nice job on CoS holiday edition.
Thanks for including my submission! Looking forward to all the great reading.
This comment was originally posted on http://rehabrn.blogspot.com/)“>RehabRN
Great Change of Shift, makes me want to sing "Holiday Road"! Thanks for letting a Funky Heart hitch a ride!
This comment was originally posted on http://rehabrn.blogspot.com/)“>RehabRN
Thanks so much for hosting CoS! Enjoyed the holiday theme…
This comment was originally posted on http://rehabrn.blogspot.com/)“>RehabRN
Thanks for hosting! Great collection…I have, let’s see, 11 tabs open right now!
This comment was originally posted on http://rehabrn.blogspot.com/)“>RehabRN
Great job, I always love reading these. It is amazing how there always seems to be a great blog mentioned that I have not ran across before.
This comment was originally posted on http://rehabrn.blogspot.com/)“>RehabRN
Thanks for hosting Change of Shift! I really need to get writing so I can be included on the list again.
This comment was originally posted on http://rehabrn.blogspot.com/)“>RehabRN
if you’re that bored, you should call your wife.
This comment was originally posted on http://mannursediaries.blogspot.com/)“>The Man-Nurse Diaries
This is useful advice for bringing things into your kids teachers too.
This comment was originally posted on http://mannursediaries.blogspot.com/)“>The Man-Nurse Diaries
Great job on the post & all the info! Lookign ffw to readin them all now. Cheers, Julie
This comment was originally posted on http://rehabrn.blogspot.com/)“>RehabRN
Good point! Will remember your post @ my next hospital visit to meet our staff!
Cheers, Julie
This comment was originally posted on http://mannursediaries.blogspot.com/)“>The Man-Nurse Diaries
we tell all our students to bring treats to the nurses in L&D when going in for their baby’s birth. although we always told them no healthy stuff because we figured it wouldn’t be as favored. lol Guess I’ll change my tune.
what about 7 layer dip and chips? hehe
This comment was originally posted on http://mannursediaries.blogspot.com/)“>The Man-Nurse Diaries
YOu got something against burnt out drug abusing adultresses? How closed minded. We are actually all lesbians with Adhd in L&d. See you need to get your specialty straight.
This comment was originally posted on http://mannursediaries.blogspot.com/)“>The Man-Nurse Diaries
mommymichael: Well, it can be healthy but tasty. For our L&D rotation someone made homemade pico de gallo salsa, that went over well.
Is 7 layer dip like 7 layer salad? My wife suggested taco dip, which is multiple layers of beans, cheese, etc. That would be well received.
This comment was originally posted on http://mannursediaries.blogspot.com/)“>The Man-Nurse Diaries
7 layer dip is what your wife suggested. =)
This comment was originally posted on http://mannursediaries.blogspot.com/)“>The Man-Nurse Diaries