Fox TV's House

[ticker-rn]

Hey, do any of you watch "House" on Fox and if so, did you see this week's episode? I've watched it in the past and have overlooked the obvious flaws against reality (e.g. the little doctor underlings giving meds, drawing labs and sitting vigil at the bedside), however this week's episode drew the line for me. The scene is, "Dr. House" is at the bedside of a patient, he gives an IM of something, the pt immediately responds and gets out of bed (a feat which had previously eluded him), the med wears off and the pt falls. "Dr. House" then says "This is why God invented nurses", pokes his head out the doorway and yells "Clean up on aisle 5!" I'll never watch the show again. Who's with me?

[rn/writer, RN]

Thanks for the correction. Hugh Laurie is the only person I seem to be watching . . .

I know the feeling. Could his eyes be any bluer? Could we stand it if they were?

Have you heard him speaking without his American accent? The Brit bit sounds fake to me even though I know it's not.

And here's a question I've wanted to ask many times about many guys. How do you maintain a three- or four-day stubble. Do you have a shaver that lops off only the outermost bit of growth day after day? Methinks I'll have to watch the recording of Tuesday night's show and give the matter some serious study. If I don't zone out watching those eyes.

[Balder_LPN, LPN]

I think you're a little off base here. People are lining up to attend nursing schools where two year waiting lists have now become the norm. Articles have been posted on this board pointing out that over 100,000 people nationwide are waiting to get into nursing schools.

So, I don't think there's any evidence that people don't want to become nurses because of the way nurses are portrayed in TV shows. There's no shortage of people wanting to become nurses.

There is, however, a shortage of available slots in nursing schools and there is a shortage of licensed RN's who, for various reasons, don't want to continue working in the field. That's a different issue and discussion but, I seriously doubt licensed RN's base their decisions on TV shows either.

even if all waiting lists where removed and a spot opened for every student to get into nursing school, there would still be a severe shortage of nurses, the waiting lists and lack of placement in schools are just the icing on the cake to the shortage.

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

even if all waiting lists where removed and a spot opened for every student to get into nursing school, there would still be a severe shortage of nurses, the waiting lists and lack of placement in schools are just the icing on the cake to the shortage.

i think the poster you replied to was emphazing a fact that other variables play a LARGER role in the nursing shortage than image...to which I agree. So do other probs such as burnout, policy, and hospital politics. But i would argue that image is at the bottom of the list due to an overwhelming number of applicants.

[MarySunshine]

Great post earlier, Miranda! I think you did a good job of explaing that scene and the show for what it is. I like it a lot, too. I think people are sensitive here because they have been the victims of verbal abuse by Dr.'s in the past (understandable). Dr. House is verbally abusive to everyone. That's part of the show. He is regularly "out of line." To say you enjoy the show and then get mad when he turns his insults towards nurses is silly, imho.

[Sheri257]

even if all waiting lists where removed and a spot opened for every student to get into nursing school, there would still be a severe shortage of nurses, the waiting lists and lack of placement in schools are just the icing on the cake to the shortage.

Actually, that's not true. The U.S. Health department estimates that the shortage right now is about 150,000 nurses. So ... if you could get those 100,000 off the waiting list and into school, that would go along way towards solving the problem. And, there are approximately 350,000 RN's not working by choice. If even half of them came back to work, that would also eliminate the shortage.

The point is ... I don't think any TV show's portrayal of nurses has anything to do with the shortage.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

It's possible that it's not harming it, but it certainly does nothing to help it.

[piscesgirl]

I've only seen a few episodes but from what I've seen I think it's a good show. Even though I'm in pre-nursing, I do hear a ton of nursing jokes from my coworkers. I'm fine with it because you can always come back with something like "just remember when I'm the one cleaning up your poopy behind" or "remember I'll know how to give shots". And we all laugh it up. Heck i laugh at the nursing jokes because I know they respect me for my decision and praise me for going to school to be a nurse because they know they wouldn't be able to handle those sorts of situations. I think that behind those jokes there is a person that is just a little envious perhaps, that we can undertake such a career. I say let the jokes come and lets have a laugh, under it all they have an idea of what we do and what we can do. And that we can make it hurt for a shot or not, depending on their attitude. I'm just suprised that Dr House can get away with an attitude like that in his profession lol.