[Anxious Patient]

A nurse in a "real" hospital compares her life to the characters in TV hospital shows.

In "House," impossibly gorgeous physicians miraculously diagnose rare diseases in every episode. Where I work as a nurse, in the Ordinary Hospital, sometimes there's not even a doctor in the house.

My biggest objection to medical shows is not that the doctors on television do their jobs brilliantly, but that they do everyone else's jobs, too

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/200...als/index.html

[Angie O'Plasty, RN]

Thanks, I really enjoyed (and agreed with) this read.

[Harparia]

I really enjoyed the article. I like the author's style of writing.
Thanks!

[Faby]

Originally Posted by Anxious Patient

A nurse in a "real" hospital compares her life to the characters in TV hospital shows.



http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/200...als/index.html

Hi:I totally agree. Not to mention nurses have the time to sit and have a cup of cofee whenever somebody ask them to. Also not one nurse, doctor or even patient has 1 pound more than they should have. Everybody looks pretty much rested, and happy all the time no matter what.

[kittagirl]

It could be worse, you could be in the UK and have to deal with Holby City or Casualty…..

Painful, I’m not allowed watch them any more (family vote) they say I shout at the TV too much…………………………..
He’s not dead…….the lead fell off………..


Anyway the one good thing about House, family; friends etc all say ‘He’s so rude, doctors aren’t like that really, are they, my sister and I grin and say no actually he’s the mild version……………..

[rph3664]

I haven't read the story in the link, but on TV, the doctors and nurses are having so much sex, it's impossible to figure out how they get any patient care done.

And doctors always inform family members of a patient's death or serious illness in the parking lot or a crowded hallway.

[CNA_Timmy]

At least there are nurses in the TV shows... what about us PCAs/CNAs/PCTs running our butts off for 12 hours at a time... maybe that is why most people cannot tell the difference between nurses and techs... follow me here I am having a moment... patients learn about the hospital atmosphere on TV... Tv has no CNAs, just docs and nurses... patient comes to hospital assuming that if you are not their doctor than you must be their nurse!! Take that nursing managers... color coding is not going to do anything... what we really need is a bunch of good looking CNAs to be cast in TV shows as CNAs!!

[witchypoo]

it must be nice to be a tv nurse with lunch and coffee breaks, and time to go to the bathroom and make out with handsome doctors, who treat you with respect and back you up with families, but then as a lpn we do not exist on tv unless it is as the evil abusive nurse with one exemption , the nurse who takes care of i can't remember the shows name but it is a private detective who has ocd, The closest to a real hospital was st elsewhere, and house, and assisted living is waiting for god.

[greenergrass]

Reminds me of a show I watched a few years ago where a cardiac surgeon sat by her patient all night holding the patient's hand.

I about injured myself laughing & falling off my chair!

A few days later, I was watching an episode of "Nurses", the only show that had actual nurses on it. I was appalled at their idea of what we do! All these chicks (& yes, that's what they were in their little dresses) did was flirt & sleep w/doctors, fight & gossip w/each other & do menial patient care.

This was at the onset of what is now our nursing shortage - I remember thinking, "No wonder! Why would any child want to be a nurse, with these woman as their role models?"

It's about time for a terrific nursing show that reveals how, in them immortal words of Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio, "It takes a nurse to save your life!"

Just my

[thinkin' about it]

Wow. The responses to this are more eye-opening than the article itself. I am shocked that so many people are so hostile and dismissive of this article seemingly mostly because it was written by an RN. I guess I thought we held higher public esteem.