Exploring the Inaccuracies of Nurse Portrayals in Media
Key takeaways:
Nurses have been portrayed in film and television for decades. Typically, the portrayals involve stereotypes about nurturing and are often of female characters working beneath a physician.
The way we see nurses represented in media affects the expectations of those entering the field.
Students and those considering nursing careers may be dissuaded or confused when the expectations derived from these portrayals differ from reality.
The nursing profession has long projected an image of trust, responsibility, and caring. As the popularity of medical dramas has boomed, nursing has become more complex and nuanced work — counter to the simplistic portrayals perpetuated by film and television.
We’ll discuss some common nursing stereotypes found in media portrayals, how they impact recruitment, and how well they reflect the reality of nursing.
Tropes and stereotypes
On the whole, television and film portrayals of nurses are inaccurate. A lack of professionalism is embedded in these characterizations. Meanwhile, nursing continues to produce more and more advanced practice providers and leaders in the field.
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From the beginning, the entertainment industry has portrayed nurses as skilled, caring, trusted, and, up until recently, all-female. This perception of nurses as caring professionals who want to make a difference is one of the most reported reasons for why people go into the field.
At the same time, nurses are often seen as lacking leadership ability, autonomy, and influence over the course of patient care. They’re also seen as subservient to doctors. But this is far from the truth — especially as opportunities around advanced practice, education, leadership, and increased responsibility continue to expand.
Over the last 25 years, how medical professionals are portrayed in film and television has evolved. In the past, characters were more one-dimensional heroes. Now, they carry more depth and have relatable flaws and personal problems. Yet, stereotypes are still pervasive.
Female nurses are often sexualized and portrayed as unskilled. Or, the opposite: They’re shown as angels of mercy, willing to sacrifice anything for their patients.
The television and film industries bear the responsibility for perpetuating these stereotypes. Most viewers consider portrayals of nurses to be positive, but that does not mean they are realistic.
Doctors vs. nurses
Doctors are often shown in medical dramas as intelligent, professional, and competent. But they also frequently come off as unempathetic and lacking emotional involvement with patients.
On the other hand, nurses are shown as kind, empathetic, and caring. But viewers tend to idolize doctors over nurses, as doctors are usually the protagonists and nurses are in supporting roles.
Onscreen, doctors are often the only ones intervening at patients’ bedsides, saving lives, while nurses fade into the background. This is far from the truth as nurses play an invaluable role in coordinating care, preventing adverse events, and promoting positive patient outcomes.
Patients actually spend more time with nurses than any other medical provider. In the intensive care unit (ICU), for example, about 86% of time spent with healthcare workers is with nurses and only about 13% is spent with doctors, according to a study from 2018.
Gender portrayals
Nurses are commonly female in television and film. This is based on what was prevalent decades ago, when typically only women entered the field. But in a survey from 2020, men made up 9.4% of the registered nurse (RN) workforce. And that percentage is increasing yearly.
In the same survey, nurses who chose “other” as their gender identity made up 0.1% of the workforce.
While nursing continues to be dominated by women, gender diversity is worth documenting in media portrayals. Often, film and television push the stereotype that nursing is not a masculine career choice and is not gender-inclusive. This particularly affects men interested in going into nursing and those seeking advanced education in the field, making it more difficult to recruit them.
Nursing’s image and recruitment
Since RNs make up more than 50% of the global healthcare workforce, according to recent statistics, it would be valuable for everyone if portrayals of nurses explained their work, dispelled stereotypes, and represented them positively.
With the help of the entertainment industry, outdated stereotypes about nursing could be dispelled and recruitment would likely improve. Portrayals that clearly communicate the values of nursing and prepare incoming nurses for the reality of their responsibilities would improve retention and recruitment.
Motivations for choosing nursing as a career are varied, but they commonly include wanting to help others and gaining financial security. Nursing students are consistent consumers of medical dramas and other content about the field, both for entertainment and because of an existing interest in healthcare. These programs could contain teachable moments. But, instead, they often perpetuate negative stereotypes.
On the plus side, nursing students have shared that medical shows inspired many of them to enter the field. And they remain an accessible resource for learning about nursing.
The bottom line
Television and film carry great influence over public perceptions. Some content is pushing nursing into the future, dispelling stereotypes, and encouraging more people to join the profession. But many old, harmful stereotypes still persist in portrayals.
Nursing is a noble profession that is always evolving. Hopefully, in the years to come, there will be more portrayals that show the independence, collaboration, and diversity of those working in the field.
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