I’ve read posts that criticize the show (click here to see promo) as yet another poor portrayal of nurses.  I’ve finally seen the promo, and I have to say – I’ll be watching.

She has some rather glaring flaws (including addictions and questionable ethics), but I’m glad to see that she is not simply another angelic handmaiden.  Her knowledge base is evident, and she tries to advocate for her patients.   One of my favorite moments in this promo was  her reaction when she caught a potentially fatal mistake of hers.  This is a person who truly cares.

For those in an uproar over those addictions and questionable ethics, they need to remember that this is a television show.  Of course that behavior is unacceptable (and illegal), but this is a television show. There would be no show without conflict within herself and between herself and others.

I’ve only been a nurse for a year and a half, and I’ve known of nurses who’ve abused.  I’ve known of nurses who’ve bent the rules.  I’ve seen (or heard) of inappropriate workplace behavior.  This show isn’t making anything up; it’s simply dramatizing behavior that can be found in any workplace.

There is so much to be mined from the nurse’s experiences. We have three new shows about us this year: Nurse Jackie, HawthoRNe, and Mercy.

That’s pretty cool.

** In response to The Nurse Practitioner’s Place…