This Unrealistic Depiction of Nurses on Television

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Recommended: Objectification of women in pop culture

When one imagines a female nurse in America, one may think of a smiling woman in pink scrubs helping a new mother care for her baby, a comforting hand to hold in a time of need, or even a soft voice counting, “One, two, three...” before administering an injection. Nursing is a profession that is dominated by women at ninety-two percent (US Department of Labor) and is accurately characterized by its commitment to the care for individuals and the promotion of healthy living. According to the American Nursing Association’s Code of Ethics, “The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.” Because of these professional and altruistic values, it is no surprise that the profession of nursing has received the highest ranking in Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics Poll for the eleventh year. Eighty-one percent of Americans claimed that nurses have “high” or “very high” ethical standards (Gallup). Clearly, the American public thinks quite highly of nurses, however, when is turns on the television, these well-respected individuals are portrayed on popular medical dramas as disposable sexual objects and as subordinate helpers. This unrealistic depiction of nurses is a reflection of the misogyny in American culture that presents itself through entertainment such as ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and Fox’s House.

The writers of medical dramas are creative in that they find ways to make scrubs “sexy,” however, this attribute of the female nurse ultimately leads to their mistreatment by the shows’ men. The physicians in the show...

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...e Truth About Nursing. The Truth About Nursing, 15 Nov. 2005. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

""Grey's Anatomy" Doesn't Care about Nurse People." The Truth About Nursing. The Truth About Nursing, 23 Oct. 2005. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

"Grey's Anatomy's: Right Away, Doctor!" The Truth About Nursing. The Truth About Nursing, Nov. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

"Grey's Anatomy's 6th Season: Have Fun Playing Nurse!" The Truth About Nursing. The Truth About Nursing, Aug. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

""Grey's Anatomy”: the Nurse as Ignorant and Pesky Servant." The Truth About Nursing. The Truth About Nursing, 27 Mar. 2005. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

Jones, Jeffrey M. "Nurses Top Honesty and Ethics List for 11th Year." Gallup. Gallup, 3 Dec. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

"Women's Bureau (WB) - Statistics on Registered Nurses." Quick Facts on Registered Nurses. The U.S. Department of Labor. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

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