Misrepresented Roles: The Truth Behind Nurses in Medical Dramas

As a doctor or nurse, it's rather disheartening to see how medical dramas often depict nurses in particular ways. Many of these shows present nurses as either stupid or sexy, or simply absent from the narrative. While Nurse Jackie has shown exceptions, it has taken a flawed heroine to present a somewhat realistic portrayal, with the added twist of her infidelity to a pharmacist who supplies her with drugs. Another example, Scrubs, featured a slightly more accurate portrayal of nurses in the person of Carla. Despite her romantic ambitions, she was shown to have both knowledge and skills, and she often stood up to doctors who acted arrogantly.

A Lack of Accurate Representation of Nursing Roles

Moving away from these exceptions, other medical dramas tend to ignore nurses entirely, even when the plot revolves around a hospital setting. This is particularly frustrating when it comes to everyday tasks like providing meals, administering medications, and giving discharge instructions. These are quintessential nursing duties that don't get the recognition they deserve in these shows. Instead, the tasks are often passed off to doctors, who are then shown performing them in a manner that suggests they can do it, but it's mostly done for comedic effect or to paint a picture of omnipotent medical professionals.

The use of Physician Authority is a recurring theme. Just think about those signs on treadmills warning users to consult a physician. Or the advice given by weight-loss programs before embarking on a new diet, which again advises users to see their physician. Yet, doctors have spent little to no time studying nutrition or exercise in medical school. Take, for instance, a family practitioner who is expected to advise patients on changing their health behaviors. In reality, a gym's exercise professional would be a more suitable and skilled source of advice.

The Influence of Medicine and Public Perception

Training in medical schools and the years of specialized training subsequent to it have effectively positioned medicine as the sole authority on health matters. This historical trend has led to the medical profession's current dominance in public perception. However, this portrayal in media does not reflect the reality or the roles of nurses. In a gym setting, it is the exercise professional, not the physician, who has better preparedness and knowledge to advise on exercise and health. Similarly, in hospitals, it is the nurses who perform these duties with the expertise and care that cannot be replaced by a physician who has not trained in these areas.

So, while these portrayals in medical dramas might seem trivial, they reflect a broader cultural perspective where Medicine places itself at the helm of all health matters. The culture believes in the supreme authority of physicians, which explains the continued portrayal of nurses in inaccurate and insufficient ways. However, this is not a new situation. The medical profession has been aware and utilized this situation to its advantage, ensuring that nurses' true roles and importance are not properly recognized by the public.

The fight for recognition and accurate portrayal of nurses is an uphill battle. Nurses continue to push back, advocating for the public to understand what we do, what we know, and how important we are. This misrepresentation, although rooted in a long-standing tradition, is slowly being challenged. The backlash against nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses demonstrates that physicians feel threatened by the growing recognition of these roles.

In conclusion, the depictions of nurses in medical dramas reflect broader societal attitudes and cultural norms. They give us a window to how the public perceives the roles of nurses and physicians, and it’s clear that there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of education and advocacy to ensure that the public understands the critical role nurses play in healthcare.

Further Reading and Resources

Explore articles and watch documentaries that delve deeper into the history and current state of nursing and medicine. Join nurse advocacy groups to support efforts to change these depictions and ensure accurate and respectful portrayals of nurses.