Members are discussing various TV shows that depict nurses and healthcare professionals, with a focus on the accuracy and portrayal of the profession. Some members mention negative perceptions of nurses in media and society, while others share positive experiences and interactions with patients. The conversation also touches on the dynamics between nurses and doctors, as well as personal anecdotes related to nursing and healthcare settings.
I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like nurses get a bad wrap sometimes. For example, on Grey's Anatomy the nurses are looked down on completely, and one of the nurses even gave syphilis to a doctor. Also, the nurses on the show are generally grumpy and in one episode they go on strike and refuse to work.
I also feel like nurses have a reputation for sleeping around. My dad who is 85 and is a retired general surgeon says that back when he practiced, nurses were known to sleep around a lot. He said it's because nurses are around life and death so much that they get careless in the sexual promiscuity sense. I just think that all of these stereotypes portrayed through TV are really rude and not realistic.
I just started nursing school a little over a month ago and this has been bothering me. Does this bother anybody else? I just was curious to see different opinions on the subject.
Yeah, I'm seeing a bit of a "blame the victim" sort of, "the woman is responsible for the actions" trend here. The nurse in Greys got syph from another doctor, who got it from another nurse. HE was the one being slutty. The nurses went on strike because they were getting screwed over by staffing time and time again. They said that on the show repeatedly.
What you see as grumpy behavior, I see as strength. Strong nurses who don't let themselves get bullied by doctors, who are on top of their patients and who know their stuff inside and out.
I think the real problem and real complaint should be that nurses are nearly non-existent in these doctor-focused shows. I love that on nurse Jackie, you see the active relationship between the doctors and nurses. Sure, it can be dysfunctional, but you see that actually, doctors and nurses work together.
Jeez, these other shows have doctors placing foleys and stuff. What do nurses even DO? lol
Exactly. I was listening to the local radio. They had a "real life" former heroin addict, now methadone clinic client. She was speaking in favor of providing clients with free (tax payer funded) transportation to the methadone clinic. Part of her argument…"the clients taking this free transportation to the clinic include lawyers, doctors, and practicing nurses." That was exploitative, and I had a big time issue that the host did not call her out on this (or at least clarify that these were not on duty nurses rushing out for a minute from work to get their methadone dose). This = real life misrepresentation of nurses, and it was not appropriate. In fiction…well it is fiction for a reason. "Real" representations of nurses is not going to bring in ratings.
You are who you are. Never settle into a stereotype or what others may think. Some people may think all smoke or are overweight. You must be yourself because that is what is going to get you far. TV is TV we have reality tv to watch other peoples lives.
One of our ED docs walked a patient to the bathroom once. He was in there seeing her and she had to go so he walked with her to make sure she got there ok. But that is definitely the minority. I do wonder what the nurses do on Greys. They are there, in the background.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like nurses get a bad wrap sometimes. For example, on Grey's Anatomy the nurses are looked down on completely, and one of the nurses even gave syphilis to a doctor. Also, the nurses on the show are generally grumpy and in one episode they go on strike and refuse to work.
I also feel like nurses have a reputation for sleeping around. My dad who is 85 and is a retired general surgeon says that back when he practiced, nurses were known to sleep around a lot. He said it's because nurses are around life and death so much that they get careless in the sexual promiscuity sense. I just think that all of these stereotypes portrayed through TV are really rude and not realistic.
I just started nursing school a little over a month ago and this has been bothering me. Does this bother anybody else? I just was curious to see different opinions on the subject.
A bad "wrap"? Must be some new slang term I haven't heard, but I do have a really nice shawl . . . .
Since when has "Grey's Anatomy" ever been accused of being realistic? It also shows doctors cutting an LVAD patient's driveline with a big pair of scissors (the patient was alive when it happened), having sex with those promiscuous nurses all over the hospital (Hmmmm . . . I guess those doctors are promiscuous as well!), cajoling patients into taking their meds and holding their hands while they rail at the gods about their lousy diagnosis or poor prognosis. Hint -- none of that other stuff happens, either.
I haven't seen the episode about nurses striking and "refusing to work", but that's generally what a strike entails -- refusing to work. It does happen sometimes, in union hospitals. It's been known to get better working conditions, better pay, better benefits and improve patient safety. None of those are bad goals.
I'm interested to know how your 85 year old dad knows about nurses "sleeping around." Was he listening to gossip, or does he know first hand? Because I've heard a lot of rumors about this person sleeping with that person, and the truth isn't usually as salacious as it sounds. I've heard plenty of rumors that "Ruby Vee is sleeping with Matteo! Isn't that shocking!!!!!." The rumors were true . . . we'd been quietly dating for five years and had recently gotten married. Some of our colleagues new that HE had gotten married the same weekend as I had gotten married and thought it was a coincidence. By the way, if your dad knew first hand that the rumors were true, perhaps he was sleeping around as well.
What bothers me about this whole business is that someone who wants to be a nurse believes any of this claptrap or takes it seriously enough to take it to the internet.
By the way -- I know from "LA Law" and "Boston Legal" that lawyers sleep around and are promiscuous. I saw on "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD Blue" that cops sleep around a lot.
Since when has "Grey's Anatomy" ever been accused of being realistic? It also shows doctors cutting an LVAD patient's driveline with a big pair of scissors (the patient was alive when it happened), having sex with those promiscuous nurses all over the hospital (Hmmmm . . . I guess those doctors are promiscuous as well!), cajoling patients into taking their meds and holding their hands while they rail at the gods about their lousy diagnosis or poor prognosis. Hint -- none of that other stuff happens, either.
I was talking with a friend of mine about how shows set in hospitals show employees having sex in closets or sleep rooms or wherever, and I've always appreciated her response: "If you work in a hospital you don't even want to take your shoes off, let alone expose your highly vascularized regions to whatever's on the walls of the supply room." Which is true. Hospitals are gross, and not sexy.
OCNRN63, RN
5,979 Posts
It doesn't bother me, because TV isn't reality.