Nurse Jackie UWGA RN-BSN Project

[VicMoWestGA]

hello georgia nurses,

myself and two classmates are working on a "image of nursing" project. we are working together on trying to improve the publics' image of nursing. for our project we have decided to organize a campaign to show our displeasure with the show nurse jackie. during our research we have discovered that the nysna (new york state nurses association) is working to have a disclaimer added at the beginning of nurse jackie. we are going to join their fight and are asking that you assist us. below is a sample letter that we have sent. our ultimate goal of course would be to have a disclaimer placed on nurse jackie or even better yet have someone work on developing a show that actually depicted the true exciting work that we do as nurses. we are asking for others to also write showtime and to share with us any response you may get.

thank you for your assistance,

3 rn-bsn students from university of west georgia.

sample letter:

stuart zakim

vice president, corporate public relations

showtime networks, inc.

1633 broadway

new york, ny 10019

to whom it may concern:

we have watched several episodes of "nurse jackie" and find that her character is not only intriguing to the viewers but horrifying to the nursing profession. her actions make the viewers feel sympathetic, especially when she is defiant in her ethical decisions. her drug addiction and adulteress behavior may have viewers relating to her on a personal level due to the viewers own personal experiences. however, "nurse jackie" does not depict a true representation of the nursing profession. in fact, very few nurses act this way in real life.

as a nurse graduates from an accredited nursing school, he/she is required to recite the nurses creed as part of the graduating ceremony. the last line states "oh lord, let your healing light shine through my hands." there was no healing light that came through nurse jackie's hands as she threw away the ear of a patient or stole money. as amusing as it was to watch, we could only think about how patients were going to view nurses today.

the media has claimed that people are more informed than ever before due to the internet and the television. society counts on the television and media to be correct and deliver information as factual as possible. however, "nurse jackie" is neither factual or honoring towards nurses. again, the nursing profession finds it's self being humiliated and undervalued due to "nurse jackie" and hawthorne. nurses are the hidden hero's in the medical profession. we are the true promoters of wellness and healing in our communities and deserve a true representation of our profession.

we are supporting the nysna organization in requesting that a disclaimer be added to the beginning of every episode of "nurse jackie" stating that the show does not depict the true profession of nursing. we employ you to reconsider your decision and help project a positive image of nursing.

thank you,

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I personally consider "Mercy" worse.

[Turtle in scrubs]

As a nurse graduates from an accredited nursing school, he/she is required to recite the Nurses Creed as part of the graduating ceremony. The last line states "Oh Lord, let your healing light shine through my hands."

Really?

Society counts on the television and media to be correct and deliver information as factual as possible.

Ok... seriously?

Nurses are the Hidden Hero's in the medical profession. We are the true promoters of wellness and healing in our communities and deserve a true representation of our profession.

Well... this may be true, but I don't think most people want to see footage of going through the 5 rights before giving a med, or checking blood sugars.

Ok... the show is over the top and doesn't paint nursing in the best light (seriously who has time for a quickie in the med room), but it seems a heck of a lot more accurate than "House".

[melement]

I think that people should take the show as what it is meant for, entertainment. If you want an accurate depiction of nursing watch a documentary. I have a hard time believing that people will think negatively towards nurses because of they way they are depicted by one show.

Just my

[KatyAtlanta]

Are you serious?

This is a television show.

Frankly, I think it's one of the most entertaining shows on now. I can't see how it in anyway damages the "image" of dedicated, hardworking, professional nurses.

For the record, I also love The Sopranos, The Tudors and Mad Men. Neither I nor any of my friends are so intellectually challenged that we confuse Italians, Brits or anyone from the 60s with the stereotypes portrayed therein.

Another thought...Nurse Jackie caricatures the doctors even more than the nurses. Will we begin to hear whining from the AMA?

[Fribblet]

"As a nurse graduates from an accredited nursing school, he/she is required to recite the Nurses Creed as part of the graduating ceremony. The last line states "Oh Lord, let your healing light shine through my hands."

I would spend my time fighting against this. Forcing students to recite a phrase that acknowledges "God" is potentially a civil rights violation. Also, don't get me started on the subpar grammar in this sentence (did you even proofread?) which does more perpetuate the dimwitted nurse stereotype than some fictional show.

ETA: I agree that I would also like to see more positive nurse characters on TV. Seeing the dimwitted nurse, the mean nurse, the incompetent nurse or the nurse that's only around for a doctor's sexual amusement does get old, but your letter makes me cringe.

[jb2u, ASN, RN]

Let me just say that I personally do not care about these fictional shows. I will be professional. My patients will see that I am a professional.

That being said, YES, the public does get their image of nursing, as well as other professions, from FICTIONAL t.v. shows. The CDC did a study and proved this to be true. Not only do people get their view of what rn's do from these shows, but they stated in these studies that people actually believe that they are more informed about their own medical needs/conditions from these FICTIONAL shows.

My point is, do not be so hard on the op. People do develop their opinions from these fake medical dramas....It has been proven so!!

[mmm333, LVN]

I personally liked Nurse Jackie- but I definitely see the show not as illustrating the ideals of nursing (or the reality of nursing), but as a TV fantasy that explores the gamut of nursing ethics through the lens of a very flawed character who faces nearly ALL of the ethical dilemmas in nursing (as unrealistic as that may be) on a daily basis.

TV is always realistic in order to cram all of the excitement in a given profession (cops, spies, etc.) into one person's daily schedule (Jack Bauer does more every week than the entire operational staff of the CIA does in a year, NCIS handles bizarre murders almost every day, House treats the rarest of diseases nearly 3 times every day, etc.).

Nurse Jackie makes the point that nurses often face temptations to bend the rules to advocate for their patients or themselves, often face difficult and even hostile work environments, and somehow make it through. They also make mistakes (that IS a reality). A show that only showed total realism and ideal nursing would be, like you guys said- a documentary, not a drama. And boring.

We all know that an RN would not simply get away with throwing a rapist's ear in the toilet (she would surely be investigated)- but it simply makes for good TV. However I do agree that Nurse Jackie is a classic "pathetic anti-hero" (as the Greeks would have called it) and kids may not understand that concept- that's why it is a mature cable show, not primetime material.

Jackie forces us to watch the show critically and consider everything we are seeing by applying our own ethics and knowlege. She does evil and she does harm in a few scenes. The inflates and decaths a child molester in one seen- violating all sorts of nursing standards and ethics. She is cheating on her husband, and like House MD, is addicted to painkillers. Not Kosher!

So as long as you don't see her as a Hero or ideal representative of nursing (it's a drama not a documentary) and use your own moral/ethical/legal compass to evaluate it, I think it can be a fun, thought-provoking, perhaps even educational show). If you are watching it passively to gather information about the real world of nursing, then that is a problem. Unfortunately, the lay person might make this mistake. But overall I think people can empathize with Jackie as a tragic anti-hero who strives to do the best she can despite her flaws and challenges.

This sort of drama is something I've seen alot of on TV lately and why I appreciate the TV that has been coming out with writing of substance lately (LOST, Mad Men, etc.) - TV is finally making people THINK instead of letting them watch and accept it passively. We've seen lots of seriously flawed heros on TV lately.

While these shows themselves are obviously not educational, the thought they provoke and the conversations like this that they can spur CAN be a desired outcome!

One thing I would like to see in the show is some occasional explanation that hey, nurses shouldn't do this, most nurses don't do those things, etc. There are some viewers that need a little spoon-feeding. Not saying it has to be done all the time, but some clarification might prevent reinforcement of those wrong impressions.

FYI I think the producer of Nurse Jackie is an RN, BSN according to the credits. That means a little bit to me. I wonder what her experiences in nursing were.