Nurses General Nursing
Published Jun 19, 2002
huggietoes
125 Posts
I watched an episode of Scrubs, and it was quite upsetting. In it the Intern makes the nurse feel lowly for being a nurse and even raves at her "I will be the doctor and you just be the nurse" and throughout she was portrayed as just standing around waiting for an order, and attempting to repeatedly prove her intelligence. One bizzare comment that was a little disturbing, the doctor asks the nurse if she had learned of photography in college and she responds by telling her sob story about not going to college. So where her degree came from is anybody's guess.
I think messages like these only perpetuate the public's misconception of what it is a nurse is and does exactly. So tell me, what do we do, what sets us apart from the MD, what constitutes a nurse?
Sleepyeyes
1,244 Posts
Hmmmm....
You might say that the doctor treats the disease, and the nurse treats the patient.
The MD assesses, diagnoses and orders meds & follow-up treatment slanted from a "hard-science" point of view. That is, if "Pill A reaches a certain level in the blood for a certain number of days, it will effect absence of disease." Bravo; his job is done.
But the nurse's job is to respond appropriately to changes in patient condition. The nurse may intervene directly and implement nursing orders as necessary. Or, if appropriate, the nurse may respond to the change in patient condition by calling the doctor for medications that refine and individualize treatment of a disease.
Nurses respond holistically, intervening with social, spiritual, or psychological support, in addition to "hard" science. Nursing goals promote patient health and well-being, and are not limited to simply eliminating a disease.
Because we respond on a very practical level with hands-on care, as well as the intellectual & experiential tasks of assessment and intervention, this gives the public the mistaken notion that "anyone can do this job."
Perpetuating that myth is the standard of confidentiality and nurses' nonconfrontational-enabling type personalities, and it's easy to see why the public perception has yet to be corrected.
Naturally, the doctor needs good diagnostic skills, but in order for the nurse to respond appropriately, so does the nurse.
That's what makes us professionals, not service workers.
So whaddya think? agree or no?
Brownms46
1 Article; 2,394 Posts
ROCK ON Sleepyeyes! You just ROCK ON!
ceecel.dee, MSN, RN
869 Posts
Agree...."it's easy to see why the public perception has yet to be corrected".
NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN
10 Articles; 18,327 Posts
Great answer Sleepyeyes!
You definately ROCK!
shay
829 Posts
Oy...I wondered how that show portrayed nurses. Welp, never watched it yet, and guess I never will. Geez........I'm so sick of being portrayed as a bedpan warmer.
"Oh YES Doctor!! (bats eyelashes)...you're so brilliant, doctor!! I'm just a stupid lil' nurse, doctor!!!"
GAG.
dianah, ASN
8 Articles; 4,225 Posts
Wow, Sleepyeyes, great dissections and definitions!!!! -- D
JBudd, MSN
3,836 Posts
Sometimes I get called Doctor (gee, am I too authoritative?),
I look 'em in the eye and say "I'm your nurse, and proud of it":lol2:
biscuit_007
85 Posts
Well, I was berated by an intern at one time and my answer was probably a little rude and definatly not politically correct. It went something like, " yes i am JUST a nurse But you are an intern and that makes you a turd! Not yet God and just barely a doctor.
:rotfl: :rotfl:
Peeps Mcarthur
1,018 Posts
Some of the situations on that show makes it seem as if the writers have actualy worked in a hospital.
I was so shocked at the ignorance of that characters portrayal. You would think that ANYBODY would know that a nurse starting their career nowadays has to get a college education to keep up with all the docs medication errors!:chuckle
Furball
646 Posts
While I was flippin' around last night trying to find something decent to watch, I caught a few seconds of SCRUBS. It showed a nurse yanking some piece of equipment out of the young doc's hands saying in an irritated tone "stop playing with this, it's NOT a toy!" That's when he responded "you just be the nurse ok?" Something like that. I DID laugh because it seemed to portray the doc as getting uppity (insecure?) because the nurse seemed smarter.
Like I said...just flippin around so I didn't see the whole thing. I have trigger fingers...