Grey's Anatomy thoughts

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in ER/Trauma/Critical Care.

I was just wondering what other nurses' thoughts are on the show, "Grey's Anatomy". I have been following the show for a while (who can resist Patrick Dempsey?? :) and I have to say, it seems to me that the show portrays nurses in a derogatory way a lot of the time.

For example, every time a doctor or intern needs something, they yell "Nurse!" and then the nurse comes and is ordered to do something. I have never seen them addressed by their name. Or last week, an intern yelled at a nurse like she was a child because his patient had been discharged without orders, and she responded, "I assumed someone else had taken care of the paperwork. We're short staffed". I thought that was kind of ridiculous. As nurses it is our job to be sure the patient has received any necessary teaching/materials before they go home and paperwork and charting is one of the most important components of our job. That is our responsibility. The show made it look like the nurse didn't even care about the discharged patient, and that just looks unprofessional.

Or last night, the nurses were shown going on strike and at one point they were passing along information to one of the doctors about their patients, such as "so and so never takes their pills, etc.". The doctor acted surprised they were doing this and one nurse responded, "They're our patients too, Geroge." I felt upset after hearing this statement because in nursing school we are taught to be the advocates for our patients. That is our professional responsibility and if anything, I would think it'd be the other way around. Nurses are the ones who spend most of their time with the patients, not the doctors and interns- of course they are OUR patients!! Although the show doesn't depict this at all. On the show doctors are seen spending lots of time with the patients in their rooms, moving beds, bringing food trays, transporting patients, etc. I saw a nurse in a room once, but when the doctor walked in he said "Why don't you go get Mrs. Smith's meds together?" as if she were a child or something. Obviously the show overlooked the fact that managing/distributing meds are solely the nurse's responsiblity, not the doctor's.

Finally, on the show there was a syphilis outbreak and of course, the nurse was the one who gave it to one of the interns. She got it from one of the other doctors.

I am not trying to put down the show- it's a good show- but I think that the writers need to take more responsibility for the way they portray the profession of nursing, especially considering what a shortage we have right now. Who will want to go into nursing if they see them portrayed that way? And even if they still are interested, we go through too much during nursing school and work too hard to be brushed off as the doctors' slutty handmaidens with STD's. Am I the only one who feels this way?

:balloons:

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I misssed last nights show, but if you search Greys Anatomy here on the general thread....there is a few threads about it.

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I've been watching it from the start and I thought last night's show was in response to all the negative mail the show got from nurses in the first place.

Last night's show had many positive points about nurses . . .like the hospital couldn't run w/o nurses and then at the end of the show when the nurse and doc talked about settlement with the nurses' union and the doc was chastized for buying a $2 million dollar robot that wouldn't begin to see any rewards for years vs. giving the nurses what they need to work safely NOW and reap those rewards NOW.

I like the part where the nurses asked George to take some messages about their patients to the docs. It showed how torn nurses feel about leaving their patients to strike. And I liked that George couldn't cross the picket line.

I see all this as progress since the beginning of the show and the "Just A Nurse" controversy.

They probably are listening to all their critics.

And yeah, that look Patrick gave Dr. Grey in the storage room after she stopped hyperventilating and crying . . . . oh man, I'm not sure I could have walked away from that look.

:D

steph

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As a nursing student I was OUTRAGED at how they portrayed the student!!!! :madface: I like the whole "I dunno...I'm kind of a student..." with that bimbo attitude and "duh" look. And then when Grey saved a DNR patient, she said "Awesome". I was sooooooooo pissed off at that! Speaking on behalf of all nursing students, that was a totally false way to portray them. With a certain select few I know, yes maybe that stigma applies but not to me or 99% of students I know!

I also wanted to kick Alex's butt when he called George "Nurse O'Malley"! And then when Christina was calling the nurse "Soccer Mom". I admit I was fuming for the better part of that episode. :angryfire

As for the ending, I'm glad it finally gave nurses the upper hand. It's about darn time that it was recognized how much nurses do! :yeah:

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

I don't watch this show, but... did anyone point out that before health care workers can strike there is a federal law which requires a 10 day notice? And that hospitals either shut down most of the beds, ship people out and stop scheduling surgeries, OR hire a bunch of traveling/agency scabs?

I've been on strike, yes I cared about my patients, but the point is THERE WERE ONLY 8 TO 10 PEOPLE LEFT IN THERE! Nurses do not just walk out on people! :angryfire

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I've never really been offended by the show. Sure, there are some less than correct portrayals of nurses and doctors but hey, it makes for good tv.

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I'm not gonna lie--i'm a HUGE fan of the show. However, i have been ticked on more than one occasion at the way nurses are portryed. Last night's show wavered on correcting that but then brought up a whole lot of other negative stereotypes like the student nurse mentioned earlier.

Although I really enjoy the show (like the others, Patrick Demsey, need i say more) I think that the ER and heck, even the scrubs writers are better at portraying nurses the way they should be. Bottom line is, we have a long way to go in changing people's ignorant sterotypes of nurses.

:typing

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

I agree with everything you wrote except your contention that it's a good show because it isn't- just for the reasons you listed. It's completely absurd on so many levels.

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Specializes in Med/Surge.
I don't watch this show, but... did anyone point out that before health care workers can strike there is a federal law which requires a 10 day notice? And that hospitals either shut down most of the beds, ship people out and stop scheduling surgeries, OR hire a bunch of traveling/agency scabs?

I've been on strike, yes I cared about my patients, but the point is THERE WERE ONLY 8 TO 10 PEOPLE LEFT IN THERE! Nurses do not just walk out on people! :angryfire

I believe they showed that on the episode before this one as it was like at the first when they do the flashback to the previous episodes. I thought the show last night was ok. I don't watch it all the time, but , I will say that at the hospital that I work, I doubt that any of the doctor's or interns would support if we went on strike and they never have to worry about it anyway b/c Texas doesn't have a union:angryfire

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I love the show!!! I think the actors/actresses are great!! It is honestly yhe one show that I can not miss each week. I also love House too :)

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I was excited about the show when it first came on, now after watching many, many episodes that are frankly degrading towards nurses, I can care less about the show. In other words, if its convenient for me to watch it, like last night, turned in on until I felt sleepy then off it went. Not sitting on pins and needles at all for this show. If it was cancelled tomorrow I would probably say good riddens! Just another poorly written show that makes nurses look stupid, lazy, uneducated and unappreciated! Take that Greys Anatomy producers!

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I for one love Grey's Anatomy. I love my profession also, but I take the TV shows at face value as what they are for....entertainment. I feel that in my practice it is my responsibilty to show others physicians, patients, visitors etc. the positive attributes of nursing.. I certainly don't expect others to gain it from television programs. I am sure there are attorneys that cringe when they watch certain shows, forensic investigators who freak out when they watch CSI and politicians who cant stand west wing...etc. etc. etc. I personally feel that if we go looking to be insulted and slighted we will easily find it. Anyway....to all others who are offended by these shows....i have a suggestion.....dont watch!! :-)

Just as a side note on some other reality type programs Trauma life in the ER etc....I have seen some behavior from "real nurses" that I don't think portrayed the majority of us in a very positive light either. I know I don't run around my unit having saline fights with irrigation syringes etc.

Kristie

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