Allison Mentink, Christine Ostendorf, Jessica GumsUniversity of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

PORTRAYAL OF NURSING IN THE MEDIA

Image of NursingNursing in the media 1930-1980Nursing in the media 1980-presentThe future of Nursing in the mediaWhat is our role? Conclusion

OUTLINE

INTRODUCTIONNursing 1980’s – presentWe have all heard stories regarding nurses:

killer nurses, incompetent nurses, poorly trained nurses and of course the entertainment media have their “naughty nurses”

Negative/derogatory portrayal of nursing in the media has become more prevalent over the past 50 years. This has heightened with more negative images in the past 20 years.

The medias portrayal of nurses is one of the most difficult to compete with

REAL NURSES VS FICTIONAL NURSES

WHAT REAL NURSE DO WHAT TV NURSES DOEducate Answer Phones

Patient Advocate Follow Doctor OrdersTriage Have Affairs with Doctors

Monitor Patients Assist DoctorsProvide Emotional Support Watch Doctors Save Lives

Perform ProceduresSave Lives

Angels of Mercy until end of WWII1920’s to end of WWII – pragmatic, even

heroicA Farewell to Arms (1932)

EARLY IDEAS ABOUT NURSING

1930’s-1940’s – Dr. Kildare films introduced nurses as love interests

1940’s-1960’s – series of juvenile novels about Cherry AmesAdventurous, bright, young nurse crime solver

1950’s-1960’s – AMA asserted control over network televisionHeroic physician characters virtuous, no mistakes

1930-1960

1962-1965: The Nurses series1960’s brought the naughty nurse, balanced

by the senior battle-axQuality of nursing portrayal decreased in

both film and prime time televisionOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

1960-1980

1960’s and 1970’s: increase in portrayal of explicit sexual activityCatch 22 (1970)M.A.S.H. (1972)

Kalischs of University of Michigan Nursing School published multiple studies in the 1980’s

1960-1980

1980’s – 1990’sNurses were shown as peripheral assistants

to dominant physiciansSt. Elsewhere 1982-88 showed occasional

formidable nurse characterChina Beach 1988-91 lead character colleen

McMurphy was competent, tough army nurse but did not generally display much skill

1980’s – 1990’s

TV sitcom Nurses 1991-94 treated nurses with some respect

Nightingales 1988-89 featured sexy nursing students who spent so much time partially undressed that outraged nurses actually managed to chase the show off the air

ER 1994 One of the most influential health care shows in history. Fairly realistic scenes, some of the best depictions of nursing ever to appear on network TV, occasionally showed serious nursing skill and autonomy, but as a whole depicted nurses as the handmaiden, as a skilled physician assistant who must defer to him.

2000 - Present2000-2006 Strong Medicine on Lifetime had a

handsome, articulate nurse midwife Peter Riggs, but other nurses were mute handmaidens

2001-Present Scrubs, present main nurse Carla Espinosa at times shows real skill, but also shows doctors starting iv’s and hanging medications and providing virtually all care

House stated nurses were invented to pick patients up when they fall and to get him coffee

Private Practice only has one nurse/receptionist character-male midwife student

WHAT IS OUR ROLE?

CONCLUSION

“Most people know they can’t get into a hospital without a doctor. What they don’t know is that they won’t get out of one – at least not alive – without a nurse.”

- Nursing Historian Joan Lynaugh

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