I'm Addicted

bethin · Feb 24, 2006

Nope, you're not off your rocker. I love Dr. G but I hate it when they blur out the good stuff. I love watching the surgery shows. I'm like "doc, get out of my way so I can get a better view." There's a show on animal planet that has an ER doctor who is also an expert on snakes. That is a great show. It's a medical show but it's on the animal planet. There was one guy who got bit by a rattlesnake and you could see all of his muscles contracting. He was bleeding from his eyes, his mouth, everywhere. It was so cool! I can't get enough of the stuff.

I guess I'm addicted too.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2006

I used to watch those. I know what you mean. Lately though, I don't want to watch them. And I'm only a pre-nursing student doing my pre-reqs! I think I study so much and think so much about my future in nursing that I need to disconnect from the field during my smidgen of down time.

I think I'm troubled a bit, by the general public wanting to watch this stuff so much. (Of course not bothered by those interested in working in the health care field!).

It just seems to me that there is possibly some aspect of hypochondriac-healthcare-tourism with the general public viewing so much health care reality t.v.

I'm all for education. So if the public is learning about disease and/or disease prevention from these shows - great. I don't know if anyone knows what I mean by 'healthcare tourists'. These would be the folks who take up resources and really don't need to be there...others who wear scrubs because it's cool, and they don't work in healthcare...I'm telling you it's just bizarre.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2006

Oh, God, I am an addict.

I was an addict BEFORE the prereqs, when I didn't KNOW this was what I wanted to do.

And if you could see my bookshelf...Lord help me. There are books up there my DH cannot even look at...THE WOMAN WITH A WORM IN HER HEAD comes to mind (I'm very interested in infectious disease and "bugs", as I call them - this book, written by a female infectious disease doc, is BRILLIANT and a personal favorite; I recommend it to all fellow DHC junkies) - he can't even TOUCH it and there's no pictures in it! :clown: When I was reading STIFF (I take a book when I go out to eat since I'm always by myself with DH overseas), I had to remove the dust jacket because the dark humor would make me laugh out loud...and the picture on the cover is a FOOT WITH A TOE TAG ON IT, not exactly something you want displayed as you giggle alone in a corner with your steak fajitas.... :eek:

Yeah, I'm a junkie. I was terrified in my interview that they'd ask me the last book I'd read, because I didn't know whether to reel off some popular bestseller or tell them I just read JUST HERE TRYING TO SAVE A FEW LIVES, which was written by an (again, female) ER doc!

I pray to heaven I meet someone equally twisted - LOL - when I start school because I cannot discuss this stuff with DH; it really creeps him out.

Also - real nuts are everywhere - personally I'm happy to see an interest in this type of TV as opposed to the glut of (my opinion) mindless and ridiculous reality shows on regular networks...as long as they publish medical books and sell them at Barnes and Noble, there will be weirdos around...

heysmalls · Feb 25, 2006

I guess I would have to say I am an addict also. I watch it all of the time when I am able to have the tv. I love it and I have been in the field for 5 years now. Love to watch things like that!!

TazziRN, RN · Feb 25, 2006

I don't watch them on a regular basis, but I'm all for the public watching them because it gives them a tiny idea of what our lives are like. Even though "ER" is not totally accurate in the medical sense, it's right on the money when they talk about how busy it is and how crowded the waiting rooms can be. I've lost count of how many people have told me "This is just like 'ER'" when I apologize for the length of the wait. It may not be medically accurate but it's given the public a better understanding of just how crazy it can get in an ER.

twinpumpkin · Feb 25, 2006

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only person who watches those shows! My DH cannot stand them, either. I figure anyone who can watch such graphic shows and read books by James Patterson while eating is meant to be a nurse (or in the medical field).:roll :roll

My favorites are Trauma, Life in the ER and The Critical Hour. I love Dr. G, too, and would prefer they not block out such important things as anatomy. One of the best things I've done in nursing school is observe an acutal autopsy! It was so cool...plus we were able to actually touch the body and organs afterwards. :yeah:

Eventually, I want to go into forensic nursing, after working in the Emergency dept. I love all the action and mystery.

Recently, we switched our satellite tv subscription and I lost my Discovery Health Channel :cry: . I couldn't take it, so I found another provider (less $) and now I have DHC back...yea!!

It's nice to know there is someone I can talk to about these shows.