Medical shows vs the real thing?

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I have always wondered if medical shows are similar to the real thing. Or are they way off from what really goes on?

What is your opinion on this?

actually, she's kinda cute and would probably look good even if she WAS half dead.

To be honest; I watched one episode of Grey's Anatomy, total. I turned it off when I saw one of the main characters (an MD student) wheeling a patient down the hall in a wheelchair going to the XRay room. Yea, right...hahahah

I have seen docs help out by wheeling patients to xray . . . . :specs:

And last night - Sam on ER told one physician (resident), in a firm but polite way, that she had been a nurse longer than he had been a doc and she trusted her instincts above his.

They are just tv shows .. . the drama has to be heightened for tv.

steph

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Specializes in Peds, ER/Trauma.

Last night when I was working in the ER, the hospitalist came down to admit a patient. Right as he was coming into the room, the patient had asked to get up to the commode to have a BM. When the patient saw the doc, he said "oh, I can wait until the doc is done" so I said I'd come back in a few minutes to help him to the commode. When the hospitalist was done seeing the patient, he came up to me and said "I'm all finished with Mr. Smith- I helped him up to the commode, and he's back in bed now."

Well my jaw hit the floor, I just about pooped my pants- the DOCTOR had actually gotten the pt. onto the commode & back to bed!!! So, while these shows might not be totally realistic, it's not completely unheard of for doctors to do this type of thing!

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Law and Order SVU is the best show on TV! Imho

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Specializes in Obs & gynae theatres.

I like an English show called 'Green Wing' http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greenwing/index.html (it's completely bonkers!) but have never never missed an episode of ER yet.

I don't really watch any other medical dramas, I prefer the 'real life' programmes about medicine tbh.

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Specializes in Gerontology.

Sure TV is just like real life.

Why just yesterday, this good looking doctor took me out to lunch right in the middle of my shift. My co-workers didn't mind picking up all my work at all! And of course, I had a real nice dress in my locker so I could change and look reallll sexy for my hot date.

And then last week, when I had to leave suddenly because of a personal crisis, no one minded that I just grabbed my purse and left. They understood that I'm special that way.

And of course, all my pts are young, male and goodlooking. I don't get any old people who try and climb out of bed and fall on the floor. Nope, not me.

And finally, even though I am the newest nurse here, I've been made nurse manager over all these other nurses who have been here for years!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
actually, she's kinda cute and would probably look good even if she was half dead.

to be honest; i watched one episode of grey's anatomy, total. i turned it off when i saw one of the main characters (an md student) wheeling a patient down the hall in a wheelchair going to the xray room. yea, right...hahahah

when i worked an oncology floor 25 years ago, the medical students (and even interns) sometimes wheeled their patients off for tests. usually, there were only two of us -- an rn working with an lpn or an aide -- for a 15 bed ward. (a ward was 15 patients in one room with curtains between them.) since hospital policy required two staff in the ward at all times, neither of us could leave. if the transporters were backed up, or if the patient was too sick to travel without "licensed personnel", sometimes the baby docs would take them.

i remember once a med student and an intern bringing my patient back from ct. they were avidly discussing the interesting ct they'd just seen -- so much so that they'd failed to notice that the patient wasn't breathing -- and hadn't been for some time!

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Specializes in Medicine.

The other week I was watching Grey's Anatomy, a family member came up to George and said "My father STILL has NOT received his medications!" George then proceeded to go and TAKE the chart away from the nurse and give the patient's meds....:angryfire

It was then that I turned the TV off! The interns on my floor don't even had access to the med room, nor would they have the first idea as to how to get the meds out of the Pixis! And people actually believe this stuff!!!!!

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Specializes in ER/ICU/Flight.
I hate to break it to you, but my husband is a forensic chemist (real life CSI guy), and those shows are about as realistic as the medical shows.

yeah, that's what I thought. with all the walking around the beach in high heels, CSI guys entering a house with the SWAT team, etc...

I like the Forensic Files on CourtTV the best. and the old FBI files, my uncle is a retired FBI narcotics agent from south Florida and he has some GREAT stories about his time on the job.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ED.

I am a fan of the technology on soaps that allows them to not only find out the paternity of unborn children, but then gives them the ability to switch the results so that someone else can show up in the records to be the dad. Gosh, if that was possible I am sure that so many of the world's problems could be solved lol.

I like that Days, one of the characters gave birth to twins that were fathered by two different men (I can see the very remote possibility of this but still...) And then of course before they were born, the mom-to-be was kidnapped and someone tried to get the stem cells (huh??) to save himself from whatever disease of the week he had.

My personal fave is on GH or other soaps where there is some type of terrible outbreak of some bad germ or another. All the victims are in isolation rooms.

The 'medical personnel' go from room to room...in the same iso. gown. And even if they are gowned and gloved....no masks? (might smear the makeup, eh?) And of course the cops and detectives are allowed into the rooms too.

I love the fact that everyone gets just enough time to make a deathbed confession or other last-minute statements, then just gasps...and dies.. quietly, goes into asystole....and then wakes up!

Now in their defense I did have a patient that kind of did that. He would go unresponsive, and his bp would be undetectable. Diaphoresis, uneven breathing...and then just when you thought it was over...he'd open his eys and wake up to his baseline. Bizarre. He was a DNR/DNI, so we did not hook him to tele so no idea if it was a cardiac thing. So I guess some of the strange things happen but I'd be willing to bed, tele or no, he was not in asystole.

I also wonder why the soaps always have their main characters get either breast cancer or leukemia. And then they get to wear pretty scarves on their head and never seem sick and then they are cured.

Maybe there have been better and more realistic storylines since I"ve watched soaps faithfully... but I haven't seen them.

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I really like House, Scrubs and Grey's anatomy. I like House because of the medical stuff and the weird disorders, sometimes (especially in the newer episodes) House's attitude gets old, though. Now, Grey's and Scrubs have almost nothing to do with medicine, but I like them both anyway, especially Scrubs- I think that show is hilarious!

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Medical TV shows annoy me because they just underscore the invisibility of nurses in the public mind.

Every day I have to re-educate my patients as to who really does what around the hospital. Some of these shows really should bear some responsibility for perpetrating those nursing myths in the public mind.

Docs on these shows do not do half the things IRL that the shows have them doing and nurses do so much more.

And nurses wonder why we get no respect from the public. As far as TV is concerned, we don't even exist. It's all about the docs.

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I watch Greys Anatomy (or watched that is, before the writers strike) with fellow nursing students and we just sat there pointing out everything that is wrong.

Scrubs, although equally as inaccurate, does show a strong nurse who often knows more than the doctors. They all ask her opinion and help. I like that.

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