Several months ago, I watched the premier of Nurse Jackie, a new Showtime "dramedy" about a dysfunctional nurse struggling with infidelity and drug addiction, and I lambasted the show's producers and writers for choosing to portray such a flawed and troubled character who happens to be a nurse. Not having cable TV, I have not been able to watch the remainder of the season, although I hear through the grapevine that most nurses are quite unhappy with the show.
While I in no way wish nurses to only be portrayed as angels of mercy, the premier of Nurse Jackie did indeed leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Suzanne Gordon, a brilliant and insightful author for whom I have the highest esteem, has written a post about the end of the first season of the show. Ms. Gordon takes this opportunity to react to nurses like myself who have shunned Nurse Jackie out of self-righteous indignance, and she offers her own evaluation of the show, it's portrayal of 21st-century nurses, and how we as nurses may or may not be seen by the public.
I thank Ms. Gordon for her writing and her opinion, and when I do indeed watch Nurse Jackie on DVD some day, I will take her position into consideration and perhaps reevaluate the feelings that were stirred up when I first watched the premier.
1 comment:
I myself stopped watching all the current 'nursing' shows due to the all the horrible portrayals. If it wasn't poor and negative it was just down right inconceivable roles - like a CNO working and saving lives at the bedside (HawthoRNe).
Ehh..
I'll give Mercy a try this fall.
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