Oh my god! I haven't posted in a long time, but I just had to post again. I'm watching the premier of Grey's Anatomy -- any of you see this?? (new show on ABC)
The Doctor, after being questioned by a nurse says, "I'm just a resident, but you take 4 years of medical school, and let me know if I'm right." (Did I quote it right?)
Then, as he walks away he says, "I hate nurses."
Then, he walks up to a female resident and mistakenly calls her a nurse and she responds, with anger and indignation, "Did you just call me a nurse?" As though it were a racial slur!
I mean, nurses have historically been marginalized in many mass media outlets, but this is amazing!!
Specializes in PICU, Nurse Educator, Clinical Research.
That is not what I said. What I said is that it is one tiny part of what some nurses do, but it is one of the first things mentioned when some of us talk about what we do. Consequently, it is one of the first things people think about when they think of nurses.
It is impossible to include all aspects of nursing because, as I stated in my other post, some nurses never, in the course of their jobs, touch a bedpan. Does that make them less of a nurse?
I was making a point about the breadth of responsibilities nursing covers, everything from difficult, delicate procedures to cleaning up someone's excrement. I realize there are plenty of people who never touch poop in their nursing jobs, just like many never care for adults, hospitalized patients, babies...whatever. My point was that nurses provide total, wholistic,scientifically advanced care for patients; they don't just *love* people back to health.
I was being a bit tongue in cheek, that's all. Didn't mean to offend anybody. For some people, the hot button is the misperception that all we do is put people on bedpans...for others (like me), it's people saying, 'you're really smart- why didn't you go to medical school instead?'. Yes, there are thousands of ways to be a nurse- I was just agreeing that the media doesn't really portray any of them.
That is not what I said. What I said is that it is one tiny part of what some nurses do, but it is one of the first things mentioned when some of us talk about what we do. Consequently, it is one of the first things people think about when they think of nurses.
It is impossible to include all aspects of nursing because, as I stated in my other post, some nurses never, in the course of their jobs, touch a bedpan. Does that make them less of a nurse?
I twas the last thing mentioned in that paragraph quoted, not the first.
i lived in springfield for about 20 years before moving to the rocky mountains. it was a beautiful little city, and i always felt the people there to be very nice. did you go to kickapoo or glendale? has spring started there yet? i remember the dogwood and redbud and all of the beautiful flowers that made spring in the ozarks one of my favorite memories!
i'm sorry that you couldn't read and understand my post. i corrected the typos, added the n to the i, the m to ore, the word have that dropped and who that dropped. it should be easier for you to comprehend now. possibly you had difficulty with the complex and compound sentence structures. the prof that i had in eng. comp. at drury u. was really big on compound and complex sentences. i also remember the ozarkeze language well!
the following is something i found from cambridge university. i think it is really an interesting concept. thought you might enjoy it too. :)
"aoccdrnig to rscahecerh at cmbadrgie uvsiertniy it deons't mteatr in waht oedrr the lreetts in a wrod are, the olny iptoramnt tnihg is taht the fsrit and lsat ltteer be at the rhgit pcale. the rset can be a taotl mses and you can sltli raed it wuiohtt a peolbrm. tihs is bsacuee the hmaun mnid deos not raed erevy lteetr by isletf, but the wrod as a wlohe."
allamericangirl's post is a prime example of what i am saying. if we lose our cool and send letters with sentences that are unreadable we make ourselves look ridiculous. instead of losing our cool, we should send collected and throughtful letters to show the execs how professional and educated we really are.
We have to convince the producers that a "serious" nurse program would be marketable. I'm not sure that all the nurses in the world would make enough of a finacial market to support it. It's TV. The nurses would be either to pretty, to stupid, to something or other.
But what about shows like Law and Order? I watch SVU regularly and am always touched at how all the characters are portrayed as tough but with soft edges, if that makes any sense. I think their handling of crimes with toughness as well as sincerity is what makes the show good. Anyway, if the producers of Law and Order can create shows about cops, and lawyers and make them not only tough and aggressive, but caring, why couldn't a show about nurses be based around the same format? Kind of like "The West Wing" where the characters are, for the most part, serious, but do have moments of lighthearted banter. Maybe the idea is too huge to visualize, but I bet there are plenty of creative nurses that could come up with an idea, as well as a format that could knock the ratings out of the ball park.
I have patients ask me all the time, how do I do what I do? Well, maybe this show would be something of an education tool as well. Show the student nurses (or the seasoned vet) throwing up because they just undressed a putrid wound. Show the family of a patient being a pain to the nurses because they want mama to have an extra blanket and there is a code going on down the hall. Show the nurse's frustration when a patient needs something in the middle of the night so he/she has to call the attending and ask for the needed something; frustration at getting yelled at by the doc for waking him/her up, but having to still be nice to him/her.
I think the public needs a show that portrays nurses in a positive and inspiring light. They have shows about doctors (ER and House), police (Law and Order), lawyers (Law and Order), Firefighter/EMS (Third Watch). I have to admit I only watch "House" and "Law and Order, SVU" but I really like the details and the problem solving of those shows. Why couldn't a nurse show incorporate a class of student nurses as well? I think it would be entertaining to see the triumphs and tribulations of students learning this profession, as well as the trials and triumph of new nurses and seasoned nurses. I can sit here and think of a hundred different ideas for episodes........so how DOES one go about contacting a network with story ideas? I think I just sold myself on the idea! :rotfl:
Sorry this is so long and rambling, but these days it is getting so frustrating to deal with the public that no longer respects nurses, and sees us as handmaidens and waitresses, instead of caregivers. I just think a show such as that might go along way to educate the public as well as recruit new nurses. If it was portrayed as close to true life to the nursing profession, as "Ladder 49" was portrayed close to true life for firefighters, then I think it would be a big hit. Just a thought though. I'd love to see Joquin Phoenix (sic?)portray a male nurse, wouldn't you? :wink2:
Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
L&O is my favorite show and SVU is one of my favorites. I agree with you about the way they portray nurses (and characters in general). As an aside: I sure miss Jerry Orbach! I was watching Trial by Jury last week and couldn't help but think how much better it'd be if he was doing the investigation.
I actually liked the show. When I heard that not so positive comment about being a nurse, as a nursing student my first reaction was... "What the.." I dont' think the show intended to portray nurses in a negative way, but they were portraying some of the interactions that are found in hospitals between nurses and doctors. The nurse in the show questioned the doctor's orders and diagnosis and he didn't care to listen to her, and by the end of the show it turned out the doctor's diagnosis was indeed wrong.
I just want to add a little humor to these posts, I swear my instructor from last semester was on that show!!!!!!!!!! When the resident was pushing the patient around and was lost was hysterical!!! I cant even tell you how many times I have done this and was ready to just get in my car and go home. Aside from all the bad portrayal of the nurses (I totally agree) I liked how I kind of felt what the residents were feeling. When the guy raised his hand and said "Does anyone feel like they dont know what they are doing??" We have all felt this at one time or another. Hopefully this show will be a hit because anything I can remotely relate to interests me.
Yeah.. maybe we had the same instructor.... 'cause the "Nazi" doc reminds me of my peds clinical instructor
Yes it is true, but do we always have to bring excrement into it?? It doesn't exactly help our struggle for professional recognition. Also, believe it or not, some nurses' days actually DO NOT revolve around bedpans
I don't know about where you work, but I have NOT seen a doctor empty a bedpan.......... :chuckle
It really ought to be, "I do the vast majority of the work, since the doctor sees you for about three minutes a day when you're in the hospital. Oh, and I keep the green residents from killing you. If it weren't for me, you'd never get your medications, the physicians would have no clue what's going on with you, and you'd probably be lying in a pool of your own excrement. I am a nurse."
*That* would be truth in advertising.
OMG, Rach!!!
Almost sprayed coffee at my computer reading this!!!
At least she got involved. At least she got up off her duff and did something about it. It's just too easy to criticize those who do take action against injustice, isn't it, instead of attacking the injustice itself.
Please feel free to share your letters. Remember, professional writers have professional editors to help them out. Very few of them are ace spellers or grammarians, they just have a burning desire to say something.
I think I just sold myself on the idea! :rotfl: 
When the resident was pushing the patient around and was lost was hysterical!!! I cant even tell you how many times I have done this and was ready to just get in my car and go home. Aside from all the bad portrayal of the nurses (I totally agree) I liked how I kind of felt what the residents were feeling. When the guy raised his hand and said "Does anyone feel like they dont know what they are doing??" We have all felt this at one time or another. Hopefully this show will be a hit because anything I can remotely relate to interests me. 
rach_nc_03
372 Posts
I was making a point about the breadth of responsibilities nursing covers, everything from difficult, delicate procedures to cleaning up someone's excrement. I realize there are plenty of people who never touch poop in their nursing jobs, just like many never care for adults, hospitalized patients, babies...whatever. My point was that nurses provide total, wholistic,scientifically advanced care for patients; they don't just *love* people back to health.
I was being a bit tongue in cheek, that's all. Didn't mean to offend anybody. For some people, the hot button is the misperception that all we do is put people on bedpans...for others (like me), it's people saying, 'you're really smart- why didn't you go to medical school instead?'. Yes, there are thousands of ways to be a nurse- I was just agreeing that the media doesn't really portray any of them.