Tonight's Boston Med: nurses featured!

[HappyNurse2005]

I know last week there was discussion about how nurses were NOT featured in the first episode. Tonight, 10 minutes in, they've shown two nurses talking and working.

the first one addressed how people think that nurses just pass pills and bedpans. well, she talked about it briefly

second one-(or, other viewers, was it the same nurse on a different day witha different hairdo) she was caring for a drunk man. it appears she was giving a bedside report-to another nurse, maybe? they didn't say. anyways, the gentelman was saying how he had to get out of there, had a paper he had to turn in to school in 3 hours, etc. Nurse was telling him that he almost died last night, he wasn't leaving, she had already heard his sob story and she didn't care that he had something to turn in, he should have thought about that before getting so drunk.

Did anyone else who watched that think that she was seriously being rude to him? I mean, if you dont care, you dont care, no one can make you care. But she stood there and told him to his face that she didnt care about what he had to do. Yelling at him like she was his mother. What a great public impression of nurses- its like the Nurse Ratchet sterotype. Yes, it was just an edited clip of an episode, adn possibly taken out of context.....but, she did say it.

and, maybe that was a poor editing job to purposely make her look all snotty....

opinions?

[Freedom42]

I watched the first episode of this series and declared it "Boston Boring." It wasn't the patients or their stories that were boring but the repetitive, cliched presentation: rock music, sweep of Boston skyline, soundbite. Repeat ad nauseum. So much of it is staged. Is it supposed to be "reality" TV? MTV ripoff? I don't know.

But after reading this thread, I decided to give it a second chance. And there it is again: rock music, Boston skyline, soundbite. Only this time, the producers have actually deemed a nurse worthy of inclusion -- a gum-chewing, fast-talking nurse who makes completely inappropriate comments to a patient rushed into the ER and offers that she "love(s) flirting" with older male patients. Great.

As for talking sharply to drunk patients, yes, sometimes you do have to do that. I took care of the same drunk three times in the ER last week, and it was exasperating. But when I raised my voice to him, it was meant to get his attention and keep him safe, not tell him that I was "sick" of hearing his "sob story."

Was the nurse the victim of editing? I don't know. But I know I won't waste any more time on this series.

[TigerGalLE, BSN, RN]

Ok, so I'm just now catching up with everyone. Halfway through the second episode on hulu.com. Why the heck does Amanda have on regular clothes and not scrubs? Other than that weird quirk I think she is great.

Oh and I love that CPR vest that was on the 18yr cardiac arrest patient. i have never seen or heard of those. Awesome.

[FlyingScot, RN]

They interviewed Amanda on one of the morning news show today. She came off as bright, articulate and warm. As far as I'm concerned she represented nurses very well. In my experience she is no different than any good ER nurse I have had the pleasure to work with (okay the gum chewing bothered me a bit but who knows that may have been the only lunch she was going to get).

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

No. You don't know.

Come back and tell us what you know when you've worked in a busy, urban ER as an independent nurse.

Excuse me Fribblet.I may not yet be a nurse, but I do work with the nasty attitudes and downfalls of the general public everyday. If I spoke to every ignorant or morally twisted person that came through my cashier line like that nurse did i would be fired.(And probably in the ER myself b/c many people take offense easily where I'm from and fighting is very common) My mother who has been a registered nurse over half of my life agrees that her behavior was unethical. I certainly hope you don't or didn't talk to your patients like that. I am sorry if your offended or I offended you, but I don't catch an attitude with you, so I would expect you as an adult would have the maturity level to not leave such comments that could inuendo animosity. Lack of communication. Sorry if something was misunderstood.

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

When you are a nurse you may see things differently. For anyone that has worked in an ER sometimes tough love is what these patients need. Not to mention lord only knows what happened in the hours before that one conversation. Also suggesting meds to a doctor is EXACTLY what nurses do...advocate for our patients!!

As for the show, I liked this episode better then the first. It was nice to see a nurse in there, hope it continues this way!

I can understand your point and I agree that she was correct in suggesting a more appropiate doage of the medicine fo her patient. I am pointing out the way in which she (the nurse) handled the situation. Rolling your eyes because someone doesn't see it like you and speaking to that intern like a child isn't going to do anything but cause problems later on down the road. I agree that there will be many things that, as a nurse, I will see differently. Thank you for handling you comment in a tactful way, that is what I feel that nurse lacked tact, and that's all. I know, and I really do know this from being taught/studying ways to execute proper assertiveness, that there are ways to be assertive yet respectful and tactful at the same time. I have a mood disorder and would never purposely talk to someone like that especially if I didn't know them. It's not the nurses place (or anyone elses)to "inflict" their frustrations and beliefs on any patient.

If a man with aids is being treated and tells the nurse or doc etc.. that he got it (aids) from having an extramarrital affair on his wife for the sixth time would you say "I don't care about all that you should have thought about that before you slept aroundon your wife?" Because it doesn't take a nurse to have access to you state board of nursing website and look up the laws governing nursing practice and then have you sued for invasion of privacy or meddling in one's private affairs. I am a big nursing enthusiast and have learned much about the practice of nurses and CNA's in NC from 3 to 5 clicks on the North Carolina Board of Nursing website, it's public information. I can tell you it is outside of the nurses "scope of practice here and everywhere" even for other healthcare professionals. A nurses job, when it comes to improving the patients lifestyle for the betterment of their own health, is to educate and suggest not to criticize and speak harshly to.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

.Why the heck does Amanda have on regular clothes and not scrubs? Other than that weird quirk I think she is great.

She has on a t-shrt and scrub pants. That's my & several of my coworkers' typical work attire too.

I didn't watch Boston Medical until I was reading this thread full of shock & dismay over this ER nurse Amanda ... so I decided to check it out online.

This is what has been so upsetting to some of you?? She never raised her voice, did not verbally abuse the patient, or do anything else unethically or unprofessionally.

She didn't fit the role captured in the "allnurses.com commercial" -- the nurturing female presence with a warm hug around the shoulders. She got a job done.

Rock on, Amanda.

[NeoPediRN]

Pat, I take it you nust never plan to work in the ER. It's easy to know it all about patient care when you're doing it from an outside perspective. Until you get some experience you don't know what you're talking about, regardless of how much you read or see on tv. Like we've told you, come back and give an opinion once you have experience as an RN. Netter yet, work in the busiest ER/Level I trauma center in New England which is also a top teaching facility and then feel free to give advice on patient care in the ER. Until then quit judging and be a little more receptive to what those who have experienced it firsthand are telling you. Contrary to what your brief experience in healthcare may have taught you, you don't actually know it all.

[chloecatrn]

My mother who has been a registered nurse over half of my life agrees that her behavior was unethical. I certainly hope you don't or didn't talk to your patients like that.

I don't think it was unethical. Could it be construed as unprofessional? Sure. But unethical, no way.

When I have patients having sex in the bathrooms post-MI, or patients who are transplant listed and have been told to lose 75-100 pounds pre-transplant eating KFC on the cardiac floor, do I channel my inner wench a little bit and give them some attitude? Darn skippy. There will be no second MI on my watch because you couldn't keep it in your pants. And if you don't want that heart, just let us know... no need to make the patients here who might be trying to change their dietary habits smell your greasy chicken and mac and cheese.

Some people need to hear it a little more roughly than others to get it.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

PatMac10 -- based on your other post re: your experience in the ED -- have you now had a change of perspective?

See how quickly things change?

Keep learning ...

[chloecatrn]

I can understand your point and I agree that she was correct in suggesting a more appropiate doage of the medicine fo her patient. I am pointing out the way in which she (the nurse) handled the situation. Rolling your eyes because someone doesn't see it like you and speaking to that intern like a child isn't going to do anything but cause problems later on down the road. I agree that there will be many things that, as a nurse, I will see differently.

Oh, will you ever if you work in a teaching hospital. When you've answered the same question for the fifteenth time at the beginning of July, if you don't roll your eyes, you're a better human than I am. I saw no where that she spoke to the intern like a child. The intern suggested a dose. Amanda said, "How about we try X, because Haldol comes 5 mg to 1 ml?" The intern paused, and the senior resident agreed with Amanda. Intern probably didn't like it, but oh well. That's the life of being an intern. You're wrong. A lot.

If a man with aids is being treated and tells the nurse or doc etc.. that he got it (aids) from having an extramarrital affair on his wife for the sixth time would you say "I don't care about all that you should have thought about that before you slept aroundon your wife?"

And NOW, I'm pretty sure you're comparing apples and oranges. There's a difference between consciously going out and partying too hard one night and contracting HIV from an affair. Additionally, the patient with HIV isn't likely climbing out of his bed when he's probably not able to stand, like our drunken Boston Med friend. And if he is, it's likely a complication of the HIV, like encephalopathy, where you can't really be sure that anything he's saying is entirely accurate because of the altered LOC. So of course that comment would be entirely inappropriate, for about 234235235 different reasons.

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

If you will read my posts I never alluded that I "knew it all" I did say I know common sense, and my place in things that are not my buisiness.There could be reasons other than being young and partying for his incessant drinking. Before I am accused of being judgementaltake a step back and analyze the situation and see if the nurse could have handled the situation better.

As I stated before I might very well change the way I feel once I become a nurse, but for now I still believe that the nurse acted very blountly and tactlessly with that patient.

Some just have different viewpoints than others it's why we learn to deal will different opinions in Sociology. I wouldn't want someone that I didn't know to judge me and treat me like a two year old.I believe that all of the nurses actions were grate, but her way approcaching solutions to her problems was quite flawed and it shed a very negative light on nursing in my opinion.

Oh and please forgive me if you felt I was being judgemental, because I most certainly did not intend that.

Thanks everyone for your experiences and comments.:)

[JulieCVICURN, BSN, RN]

I still believe that the nurse acted very blountly and tactlessly with that patient.

Which is exactly what some people need sometimes. I found that this particular situation totally warranted it and that Amanda was appropriate.

As far as treating the resident like a child...believe me, if a doctor thinks a nurse doesn't know what they're doing, they get the same eye roll and "are you sure you're an ER/CCU/ICU nurse?" act from the doctor. You learn quick to be confident and assertive or even pushy in order to not get walked on. Doctors are not above nurses on the food chain - they are colleagues and are allowed to have things demanded of them or have their actions questioned. It is, in fact, our duty to point out if we think a doctor is doing something wrong and advocate for the patient, which is what Amanda did. The patient needed a bigger dose.

It's interesting to get perspective from someone who's never been in the trenches. I remember when I was that naive. And my mom was an ER nurse for 25 years. It didn't mean I knew anything about nursing when I started, despite all the stories I heard at home.