6 Things TV Shows Get Wrong About Nursing
Television’s medical dramas and hospital-based movies offer captivating drama, sprinkled with scenes of doctors and nurses indulging in clandestine liaisons amid surgeries. But how closely do these shows mirror reality? The reality vs. fiction in nursing is often starkly different.
Authentic nurses contend that TV series like Grey’s Anatomy and Chicago Med, along with movies like Flatliners, often take liberties with medical drama accuracy. We’ve consulted nursing experts to unveil six glaring discrepancies they find with healthcare portrayals onscreen.
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Doctors Assumingly Undertake Nurses’ Responsibilities
TV frequently features doctors performing tasks within nurses’ jurisdiction, such as administering medications or chemotherapy. Tracy Jones-Darnell, a faculty member at Walden University’s RN-BSN program, clarifies that nurses execute these nursing responsibilities under physician orders.
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Jones-Darnell notes that TV doctors assume roles typically belonging to nurses, like administering medication or chemotherapy. This starkly contrasts the reality where nurses undertake these duties, leading to the perpetuation of common nursing myths. She emphasizes the frustration felt by real nurses when shows inaccurately attribute these tasks to physicians.
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TV Nurses Venture Beyond Their Specialty
Most TV shows do not have resemblance to the correct work Environments for Registered Nurses. For instance, emergency room procedures on TV often skew the portrayal of nursing. The captivating ER scenes from medical dramas are often misrepresentative of real-world scenarios.
Jones-Darnell critiques the depiction of entire episodes set in the emergency department, implying that all patient treatment, salvation, and discharge occur therein. She highlights how this distorts the role of emergency nurses, overshadowing the contributions of nurses in other specialized units, further muddling nursing roles in TV shows.
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Misuse of Medical Equipment on Screen
Sandra Crawley, a registered nurse, identifies instances of TV nurses mishandling medical equipment. From incorrectly connected nasal cannulas to inappropriate use of oxygen tubing and suction tubing, TV often gets it wrong.
Crawley cites the most egregious blunder: manual defibrillators used to revive patients who are flatlined. Onscreen, this always works; in reality, it does not, showcasing another flaw in medical drama accuracy.
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Inaccuracies in Emergency Procedures
Emergency procedures are a staple of medical dramas, set in ERs, accident scenes, or ambulances. Jones-Darnell and Crawley flag numerous inaccuracies in these portrayals.
Erroneous codes, especially flawed CPR demonstrations, rank high on their list of grievances. Crawley highlights instances where CPR is performed on patients with heartbeats, undermining its purpose. Incorrectly portrayed defibrillation and mismanaged seizure responses further taint the portrayal of accurate medical practices, contributing to the misunderstandings surrounding nursing roles in TV shows.
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Romance Among Medical Professionals
TV often amplifies the romantic entanglements between doctors and nurses, creating sensationalized scenarios around healthcare relationships on TV. While such relationships can develop, they occur less frequently than portrayed and not during medical procedures.
Crawley debunks these portrayals, emphasizing the demands and exhaustion nurses face, making on-the-job romance unlikely.
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Overlooking the Paper Trail
Nursing involves more than hands-on duties; accurate record-keeping is crucial. Patient charts, legal documents containing medical information and insurance details, demand meticulous updates.
TV bypasses charting due to its mundane nature. Real nurses invest substantial time in this task, highlighting another area where the depiction strays from reality vs. fiction in nursing.
In a Nutshell:
Nurses may be avid TV viewers but advise viewers to digest these portrayals as fiction. Tracy Jones-Darnell sums it up, stating, “Grey’s Anatomy is a great show, but oh so unrealistic.” The consensus among nursing professionals is clear: while these shows entertain, they often deviate from reality, warranting a discerning eye.
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