I was just wondering what other nurses' thoughts are on the show, "Grey's Anatomy". I have been following the show for a while (who can resist Patrick Dempsey?? :) and I have to say, it seems to me that the show portrays nurses in a derogatory way a lot of the time.
For example, every time a doctor or intern needs something, they yell "Nurse!" and then the nurse comes and is ordered to do something. I have never seen them addressed by their name. Or last week, an intern yelled at a nurse like she was a child because his patient had been discharged without orders, and she responded, "I assumed someone else had taken care of the paperwork. We're short staffed". I thought that was kind of ridiculous. As nurses it is our job to be sure the patient has received any necessary teaching/materials before they go home and paperwork and charting is one of the most important components of our job. That is our responsibility. The show made it look like the nurse didn't even care about the discharged patient, and that just looks unprofessional.
Or last night, the nurses were shown going on strike and at one point they were passing along information to one of the doctors about their patients, such as "so and so never takes their pills, etc.". The doctor acted surprised they were doing this and one nurse responded, "They're our patients too, Geroge." I felt upset after hearing this statement because in nursing school we are taught to be the advocates for our patients. That is our professional responsibility and if anything, I would think it'd be the other way around. Nurses are the ones who spend most of their time with the patients, not the doctors and interns- of course they are OUR patients!! Although the show doesn't depict this at all. On the show doctors are seen spending lots of time with the patients in their rooms, moving beds, bringing food trays, transporting patients, etc. I saw a nurse in a room once, but when the doctor walked in he said "Why don't you go get Mrs. Smith's meds together?" as if she were a child or something. Obviously the show overlooked the fact that managing/distributing meds are solely the nurse's responsiblity, not the doctor's.
Finally, on the show there was a syphilis outbreak and of course, the nurse was the one who gave it to one of the interns. She got it from one of the other doctors.
I am not trying to put down the show- it's a good show- but I think that the writers need to take more responsibility for the way they portray the profession of nursing, especially considering what a shortage we have right now. Who will want to go into nursing if they see them portrayed that way? And even if they still are interested, we go through too much during nursing school and work too hard to be brushed off as the doctors' slutty handmaidens with STD's. Am I the only one who feels this way?
OK, yes, it was farfetched, but that did not keep me from screaming a the TV with suspense--holy cow that was an exciting episode. Cannot wait for next week's show. I am the kind of person the producers at ABC love--a total sucker!
The movie makers who write the medical showes are in thick with the California Board of Medicine. What you see on these shows, is exactly where the doctors want the nurses, and this is how the public is to view nurses.
As long as nurses do not support each other, and let the doctors dictate nursing practice, this is the way it will be.
The nursing profession has "battered wife" syndrome. Meaning, nurses do nothing to stop the abuse, and let the abuser dictate our education, and practice.
I spent 10 years in the military, and in those 10 years I was never disrespected. When I took my first job out of the military, I started thinking about another career outside of nursing on the first day. It is sick how the nurses, and the patients are treated, down right dangerous. This was in California.
Read "Nursing Against the Odds". It's found in the bood store.
NURSING AGAINST THE ODDS scared the crap out of me, but I have my own pet theory. More and more nurses are entering the profession as a second career. Because of this, and because more people will have had work experience before becoming nurses, I think it's going to change.
I for one will NOT put up with some of the stuff I read in that book, and could not BELIEVE that people HAVE put up with it. I too am prior military (though not in nursing!) but I'll be almost 35 by the time I graduate, and I'll be hanged if I'm going to be the subject of a physician temper tantrum. If I deserve to get ripped, that's one thing. But a temper tantrum is something else.
And if ANYONE lays a hand on me, I hope they're well insured with high limits on their personal liability policy. Because they WILL need it.
I believe - though it will be slow - it WILL change. I have faith.
Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
This just must be one of those shows that people either love or hate, with little middle ground. I've tried to watch it a couple times and had to turn it off because, well, let's just say I'm one of the ones that don't love it.
NURSING AGAINST THE ODDS scared the crap out of me, but I have my own pet theory. More and more nurses are entering the profession as a second career. Because of this, and because more people will have had work experience before becoming nurses, I think it's going to change.
Wha-.....What? That's a bizarre theory. I was a traditional college student and nursing is my first career choice. I certainly don't see that people from the outside will be needed to "save" us. It's going to change when nurses-regardless of how they entered the profession-begin to take ownership of their profession, take pride in it and stop the in-fighting. Good luck to us all.
Wha-.....What? That's a bizarre theory. I was a traditional college student and nursing is my first career choice. I certainly don't see that people from the outside will be needed to "save" us. It's going to change when nurses-regardless of how they entered the profession-begin to take ownership of their profession, take pride in it and stop the in-fighting. Good luck to us all.
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OK, yes, it was farfetched, but that did not keep me from screaming a the TV with suspense--holy cow that was an exciting episode. Cannot wait for next week's show. I am the kind of person the producers at ABC love--a total sucker!