VCR/DVR Alert - Vietnam Nurses with Dana Delany

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I saw a snippet in Entertainment Weekly which gives the doc a good review and states: "Look, you're just going to cry........"

What I like is that it not only is going to tell their story at the time, but the postwar decades of how they coped.

On WEtv

Fri Aug 18 10:00P on Womens Entertainment

Sat Aug 19 06:00P on Womens Entertainment

Thu Aug 31 10:00P on Womens Entertainment

Dana Delany, for those who don't know, is an actress that played a Vietnam nurse in the 90s show "China Beach". It stands as one of the most nurse-positive shows ever aired. Dana Delany states: "I applaud WE TV for giving them (the nurses) the opportunity to share their emotional stories that give a uniquely female view of the Vietnam War." People in charge of the Iraq War should watch the WE documentary to learn how not to conduct an armed conflict. There are lessons to be learned by listening to the brave women who served their country when they often were the last friendly contacts with soldiers who lost their lives in Vietnam."

http://nursingworld.org/news/VietnamNursePressRelease071706.pdf

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

Thanks for alerting us all to this. The VCR is set.

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

They did a special on ?the Military channel a few years ago. Interviewed a lot of nurses (and other female workers in the warzone--Red Cross, etc.). It was indeed a tear-jerker.

I felt it even more since I'm of an age where "there but for the grace of God go I". I also had read Linda VanderVeen's book, Home Before Morning. Sooo, soo sad.

The Military is so bent on "getting the job done", they never consider the wreckage of lives left behind. Esp. when that life is female, and therefore not a "TRUE warrior". @ least that's my take on it.

Once they get the job done, how about cleaning up the mess they made?? What a concept!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

Thanks for posting Tweety. I look forward to it.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Hemodialysis.

Thank you for the heads up Tweety!

I watched China Beach religiously when it was on and I loved Dana Delaney's character on the show.

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Already planned to watch this one. Loved China Beach.

I worked with a Nam vet nurse, in fact she was a career army nurse and at 45 she entered private sector nursing. She was a competent nurse, detail orientated, good to patients and families. She hated charge, hated doctors, and hated to see death. She would not kill a fly, no joke. She was shook-up after a peds death once so badly, I just let her sit in the break room and cry. The next day she was back in harness. She would be the first to say war was lots of blood and pain but little glory. Also knew a nurse who was on Batan in WWII, in the Death March. She was a good nurse and very efficient. Always worked nights because she could not sleep at night for the nightmares. Her legs were scarred and she walked with a limp. She always wore white, was prim and neat in her dress uniform and polished shoes. I admired her courage, at the time there were several physicians on staff who were vets and they seems to naturally gravitate to one another. She worked her regular shift, went home and died of a massive MI. She never complained of chest pain or SOB that whole night.

You can bet your bottom dollar these ladies have seen more suffering and death than those of us who never served. They deserve the memorial in DC and all the honor we can give them.

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Specializes in floor to ICU.

looking at my post-it reminder right now- it's stuck on my computer ;)

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Specializes in ICU, Pediatric, Psychiatric, Med/Surg.

Is anyone else looking forward to watching the documentary about the nurses who went to vietnam? I am very interested. It is supposed to air on August 18.

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I have the recorder set to tape it. Things that I really want to see, I tape so that I can watch it without worrying about being interrupted. I can't wait!

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Specializes in Psych, Home Health, Geriatrics, Peds.

jj

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I haven't heard of this - where is it being played??

I just returned from a medical mission to Vietnam and would love to see it.

More info please!

steph

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.

WEtv

"The documentary, produced by Creative Street Entertainment, premiers at 10 p.m. EDT, Fri., Aug. 18, 2006, with limited commercial interruption. An encore presentation airs the next evening at 6 p.m. EDT, Sat., Aug. 19, 2006."

http://www.nursingsociety.org/media/vietnam_nurses.htm

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