Summary of Show
The episode portrays a working day of experienced ICU nurse Nancy Ludwick. The episode features Nancy’s daily operations. Nancy is present during surgical operations, she also observes patients after the operation, she is also communicating with the patient’s relatives (his wife and daughter). The episode reveals Nancy’s attitude towards her work. She also tells why she has decided to become a nurse. It is important to point out that the show is screened by nurses and it is for nurses.
Positive & Negative Characteristics Portrayed by Nurse
The show portrays only the positive characteristics of the nurse. Nancy is a young and active woman. She is an experienced professional. She knows why she wants to be a nurse and what it means to her. Basically, it seems that it is Nancy’s calling. It goes without saying that this contributes greatly to the positive image of Nancy as a nurse who has always dreamt about nursing and is happy to do her job. Nancy is responsible and attentive. She is positive and emphatic. She communicates with a patient and his relatives. Admittedly, people seek for having answers to whether everything is OK. When the daughter saw her father in wires she could become nervous, but Nancy did not let that woman get frightened. Nancy is doing her job perfectly explaining to the patient’s relatives that his state is normal and their close person will be fine. It is also important to note that Nancy is smiling and ready to answer any question. There can be no doubt that a smiling face in award contributes to the rapid recovery of patients.
Overall Thoughts on the Portrayal of the Nurse
When considering this episode it is necessary to remember that it is a TV show made by nurses for nurses. On one hand, it is possible to state that the show creates a positive image of a nurse since they simply cannot say bad things about themselves. On the other hand, the episode provides insights into the peculiarities of nursing revealing some hardships of the profession. For instance, it is articulated that nurses have little rest since they should be in many places at a time. At the same time, it is promulgated that nurses should be attentive. This show creates a positive image of a nurse picturing a perfect nurse. I think it is a very good idea to promulgate such characteristics of nurses and to show that it is possible to be a perfect nurse. It goes without saying that in reality there are many nurses which do not conduct in the way Nancy does. However, such an image created by a TV show encourages nurses to be patient, caring, positive, and responsive. It also encourages people to trust nurses. The TV show makes people understand that nursing is a quite challenging way of earning one’s living and it requires a lot of patience, physical and emotional endurance.