House - Is this what nurses do?

[MT RN]

Did anyone watch House tonight? The reason I'm asking is about halfway through the show I think the MD played by Omar Epps made a rude comment about nurses. The situation was that the MD was preparing to do a spinal tap on a pt., and the pts. sister asked if she could help. He said something to the effect of "Sure, it's easier than getting a nurse" and asked her to reposition his legs and hold them. The girl then asked "Is that all that nurses do?" and the MD replied something to the effect of that being all they were good for.

Now mind you my hearing is somewhat diminished and I wasn't really paying a great deal of attention to the show, but I swear that's what I heard. Just want to confirm before I fire off a nasty email to the show...

[rehab nurse]

ihad to rewind that a few times to catch what he said, too. he said, "that's all my boss thinks they're good for".

Omar's character is dating a Peds nurse on the show. I would have thought since he's dating one he could have educated the young girl a little better and said something a bit positive about nurses. But on House it seems that all the nurses are made to be bumbling idiots. It's sad that the public gets this view of us...no wonder no one thinks we are professionals.

I for one am a bit tired of how they portray the chronic pain issues on the show as well.

I never understood why they found over 600 Vicodin in his house? The guy pops one or two Vicodin in every scene it seems. I've seen him with syringes of Morphine once or twice on the show, but he always seems to be using up the Vicodin like no tomorrow. And why doesn't he see a regular doctor (like Cuddy or Wilson) and just use ONE doctor to write his prescriptions? I don't know why I let it bother me, I know it's just a show. But it really sets up the public to think anyone who needs a chronic pain med for pain management is an "addict". If his pain is so bad, he should be on a long acting med, no?

I feel bad how he is doing this to Wilson though. I thought that they just made restrictions on his prescribing of narcotics, not his regular chemotherapy meds? Can that really happen in real life? What a rotten thing to do to a friend. If he had so much Vicodin stashed at home, why did he need to forge Wilson's scripts?

Ok, ok...it's just a show! :)

[Fazed]

Thanks Vicky and BSN. I went to the website and will follow up with a letter on both House and Grey's. I do think ER, although still not perfect is much closer to reality as far as nursing tasks are portrayed.

[Sheri257]

Ok, as has been pointed out in many threads regarding the show; the character "House" is an equal opportunity jerk. If he were to be complimentary to nurses it would be our of character.

I agree. He slams a lot of doctors also. I wonder if MD's are upset about it.

To me, at least ... the main misleading thing about that show is the idea that doctors, especially four of them would devote that much time to any single case. And they have the docs giving meds, etc. which, of course, hardly ever happens.

Patients complain a lot about the docs not being around much as it is. I hope this doesn't raise their expectations.

:typing

[Krither]

Any adult with a brain knows that what is on TV a majority of the time is not accurate and what they see isn't always true.

However, when someone out of the scope of things (that being those not working in health care at all) watches these shows they are likely to believe most of what they see if not all because they don't know the REAL DEAL themselves.

That is what makes these shows that portray nurses and doctors in a way that is false such a problem. Although it is just a TV show, people are more than willing to believe what they see because it is such a powerful medium.

[Hoozdo, ADN]

Thanks Vicky and BSN. I went to the website and will follow up with a letter on both House and Grey's. I do think ER, although still not perfect is much closer to reality as far as nursing tasks are portrayed.

I also wrote a letter from the web site. Normally, I like House. I can accept the little things like doctors devoting all of that time on one case, HOWEVER, I can not accept a blatant slam on nurses! I had to rewind several times because I could not believe what I had just seen! I still couldn't figure out what Omar Epps said except "that's what __ _____ they do". If I couldn't hear it after rewinding 3 times.....I don't think most people could hear it after one time. That leaves them with the impression nurses do NOTHING but hold people legs in procedures. Yeah, right :imbar

I am starting to be more critical of a show I had previously liked very much. When was the last time you saw a doctor draw blood cultures? Sedate a person before a lumbar puncture? Move a patient from the gurney to a catscan table? RUBBISH:trout:

[rn/writer, RN]

Call me nuts, but I like watching House because the writing is sharp, the medical mysteries are often (and perhaps always) based on real-life medical detective stories, and the interplay among the characters just sizzles. The pace is so fast that I had to turn on the "closed captioning" to avoid incessant replays to figure out what had been said.

I don't expect the show to be an advocacy platform for nurses. Nurses hardly ever show up. But then, neither do lab techs, radiologists, CNAs, or paticipants in many other disciplines. Occasionally, you will see ticked-off surgeons, but they're usualy just jousting dummies for House's piercing wit and repartee. Dh and I have laughed to see Cameron, Foreman, and Chase (and Wilson and Cuddy now and again) do their own blood draws, lab cultures, MRIs, and administration of meds. I'm waiting for the episode where they cook lunch and spoon feed the patients.

I like House, the character, because at the bottom of his misanthropic well of insults and sarcasm, he is not what he seems on the surface. Or rather, he is what he seems on the surface--an equal-oportunity insulter and cynic--but he is also quite a bit more. The writers--and Hugh Laurie, to give him his props--have constructed a man of complexities, many of which are not apparent in the time it takes to get honked off and switch channels.

Besides, his blue eyes in thoughtful mode outclass the peepers of any of the McWhoevers from Grey's Anatomy on their best day, and the rest of the package ain't too shabby either. Love the non-accent from this true blue Brit as well.

Ah me. Must stop now or I'll waste the day running and rerunning last night's episode.

At any rate, as long as the formula is working, and it appears to be doing quite nicely, I doubt that letters from miffed nurses, docs, or techs of any stripe will alter the program much.

It would be great to see a show that focused on nurses as intelligent human beings, women and men, who didn't have to jiggle or ogle or grope or whine or hop into bed with their patients or each other to draw viewers into our world. I'm all for letting TV folks know that we would flock in droves to a well-done series that focused on real nurses.

In the meantime, where's the remote? I think I need to do some serious House-hunting.

[Lacie, BSN, RN]

Call me nuts, but I like watching House because the writing is sharp, the medical mysteries are often (and perhaps always) based on real-life medical detective stories, and the interplay among the characters just sizzles. The pace is so fast that I had to turn on the "closed captioning" to avoid incessant replays to figure out what had been said.

I don't expect the show to be an advocacy platform for nurses. Nurses hardly ever show up. But then, neither do lab techs, radiologists, CNAs, or paticipants in many other disciplines. Occasionally, you will see ticked-off surgeons, but they're usualy just jousting dummies for House's piercing wit and repartee. Dh and I have laughed to see Cameron, Foreman, and Chase (and Wilson and Cuddy now and again) do their own blood draws, lab cultures, MRIs, and administration of meds. I'm waiting for the episode where they cook lunch and spoon feed the patients.

I like House, the character, because at the bottom of his misanthropic well of insults and sarcasm, he is not what he seems on the surface. Or rather, he is what he seems on the surface--an equal-oportunity insulter and cynic--but he is also quite a bit more. The writers--and Hugh Laurie, to give him his props--have constructed a man of complexities, many of which are not apparent in the time it takes to get honked off and switch channels.

Besides, his blue eyes in thoughtful mode outclass the peepers of any of the McWhoevers from Grey's Anatomy on their best day, and the rest of the package ain't too shabby either. Love the non-accent from this true blue Brit as well.

Ah me. Must stop now or I'll waste the day running and rerunning last night's episode.

At any rate, as long as the formula is working, and it appears to be doing quite nicely, I doubt that letters from miffed nurses, docs, or techs of any stripe will alter the program much.

It would be great to see a show that focused on nurses as intelligent human beings, women and men, who didn't have to jiggle or ogle or grope or whine or hop into bed with their patients or each other to draw viewers into our world. I'm all for letting TV folks know that we would flock in droves to a well-done series that focused on real nurses.

In the meantime, where's the remote? I think I need to do some serious House-hunting.

:yeahthat: You hit this one right on the head of the nail! It's TV and for entertainment. Yes we would love to see more shows to advocate nurses in a more positive light. But think you'll most likely find that only on the discovery or learning channel most of the time. If the show offends anyone then all they have to do is locate the nearest remote. I get a kick out of the show and also do enjoy some of the thought provoking issues that it brings up.But all in all it's only entertainment.

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

I don't watch these types of shows...I mean the first time I saw a comercial for HOUSE, I thought the main character looked like an arrogant poop! Heck, if I wanted a few hours watching an arrogant guy be right all the time and diss everyone...I can go to work and watch some of my patients! LOL!!!!!!!!!! (my DOCs are awesome...it is the occassional patient that maybe watching too much HOUSE and acting upon it! LOL!).

I also got absolutely bored of ER, and never watched Greys Anatomy. When I am off work...I am here or ignorning anything medical whatsoever! LOL!!!!!!!

I do sometimes long for re-runs of EMERGENCY...prrrrrrr...may have been in the 70's but I feel in love with paramedics as a child back then...and well married one, and the show still gets me all fluttery when I watch those two hot dudes! PRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!! LOL!

[gwenith, BSN, RN]

I near split my sides laughing the day I overheard two Radiologists talking about House!! They were complaining about how the physicians on house did everything - including run the CT and MRI!!!!

So, it is not only our profession that this show has irritated - personally I see it as a comedy not far from "Scrubs".

The only show I have ever seen that portrays nurses as nurses was one that the ABC (Aust) aired called "Nurses"

Nurses

[rach_nc_03]

I think he actually said, "That's all my boss thinks they're good for." Refering to House. If the only experience you had of hospitals was House, you'd think that doctors were the only people working there. There's rarely any other staff seen in that hospital. Have you ever seen a doctor draw and test his own labs. . .I think not. For that matter have you ever seen a group of doctors sit at the bedside for hours as the docs did on tonights episode??

Funny this post popped up- I'm a 'House' devotee, and TIVO it every week. I replayed that snip about ten times, trying to understand what he was saying! I almost took the line as a little aside acknowledging how unrealistic that show is in portraying the whole nurse/doc work division.

But maybe I was being generous in my thinking because I'm still taking a ton of pain meds. :selfbonk:

[rach_nc_03]

I for one am a bit tired of how they portray the chronic pain issues on the show as well.

I never understood why they found over 600 Vicodin in his house? The guy pops one or two Vicodin in every scene it seems. I've seen him with syringes of Morphine once or twice on the show, but he always seems to be using up the Vicodin like no tomorrow. And why doesn't he see a regular doctor (like Cuddy or Wilson) and just use ONE doctor to write his prescriptions? I don't know why I let it bother me, I know it's just a show. But it really sets up the public to think anyone who needs a chronic pain med for pain management is an "addict". If his pain is so bad, he should be on a long acting med, no?

I feel bad how he is doing this to Wilson though. I thought that they just made restrictions on his prescribing of narcotics, not his regular chemotherapy meds? Can that really happen in real life? What a rotten thing to do to a friend. If he had so much Vicodin stashed at home, why did he need to forge Wilson's scripts?

Ok, ok...it's just a show! :)

I'm glad I'm not the only one perplexed by how they're handling the topic of his pain management. To their credit, at least he's portrayed as a brilliant doc who solves mysteries that nobody else can figure out- it seems to me that most people act like the instant anyone (including someone with chronic pain) pops a vicodin, they're suddenly knocked out, incompetent, and instantly addicted.

And at least they've had multiple episodes that explore the reasons for his pain issues.

But man....he had 600 pills stockpiled? Why was he always asking Wilson for more? Did he forget where he put those 600?

[jb2u, ASN, RN]

To all of those posters that state, "it's just a t.v. show....."

Consider the fact that, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the majority of Americans report that they believe that they learn about diseases and how to prevent them from these "entertainment" shows. Another study shows that, according to the Healthcare Group of JWT Specialized Communications which completed a study into the perceptions of Nursing as a professional career among students in the United States, found that the majority of students did not recognize Nursing as a career option and also had misconceived notions as to what Nurses do. The students stated that they got their idea of what nurses do from the t.v. show "er."

Be honest with yourselves, how many people here believe that they know what a typical day is like for a cop based on a cop drama show? I know several cops that were surprised at how much paper work and non-action calls there were in a day. Many that have never even fired their weapon except for at target practice.

How many people would be surprised that the majority of crimes go unsolved?

How many people think that they know what the "hood" is like based on a t.v. show? I'm sure there are many.

The fact is the public does not know what Nurses do. Many believe Nurses are there for the Doctors. Nurses are suppose to be educators. How can we educate when our knowlege and skills are being questioned by a public that believes that Nurses are there just for the Doctors? Yes, the media does influence the public. Why have we fought so hard to get actors to quit smoking on t.v....because studies show it increases smoking rates. Studies showed that after "er" came out, there was a surge in the number of "er" doctors. Please do not believe that these poor portrayals of Nurses do not shape public opinion because it does. Companies pay billions of dollars for product placement because they know how much "entertainment" television effects the public. Producers put their own agenda into story lines because they know how much "entertainment" t.v. influences the public. They talk about abortion, President Bush, stem cell research, all in a "fictitious" storyline because they want to push their agendas and know that the public will believe what they hear on this program. Many, many studies show that they are right, public opinion is shaped by t.v., even fictitious shows! I enjoy watching House, ER, and the like, but I am fully aware that the public does get their opinions of Nurses from shows like these.

I talked to a patient's wife the other day and she was astounded by the fact that a Nurse that she knows knew so much about medication. I told her "yes, nurses do need to know about meds." She stated, "yes, but she knew what they were for." I told her that "yes, nurses have to know about meds, and the side effects, what they interact with, what labs to keep an eye on. The nurse is the one that will notice a side effect that may be life threatening and notify the M.D. or that the Nurse will get the critical lab value that needs to be reported that just may save that patients life. I also told her that if a doctor was to write an order for a med that had too high a dose, it is a Nurse's duty to refuse that order, and that if the nurse gave such a high dose med she/he could be held liable for the patients death because she/he has a duty to know the med and to not give a lethal dose just because the doctor ordered it." She was shocked to learn that Nurses could refuse a doctor's order. I wonder where she got that idea from?

(ps: I am a Nursing student working as a CNA. I responded as a concerned future Nurse. The use of "our" in my post did not infer that I am a Nurse, but rather that I will not change my mind when I graduate in May and that I take this issue as serious, even as just a nursing student.)