TV's Portrayal of Nursing
by Amanda Fornecker
"Making a difference" is probably one of the most popular reasons why people get into the nursing profession, according to three top nursing professionals from nursing schools around the country. They all agree that nursing is more than just acting as an assistant to a doctor -- a portrayal you're likely to see on hit television shows like ER and GREY'S ANATOMY. Thankfully, despite the negative TV image of this lucrative and fast-growing profession, the popularity of the nursing profession continually increases.
The Popularity of Nursing
"There is a supply and demand issue present," says Susan Groenwald, BSN, MSN, president of the Chamberlain College of Nursing (St. Louis, MO). As the population increases (the U.S. Census Bureau updates the number each minute on their website and the U.S. population alone is well past 301 million), the number of nurses must rise. As a result, the job outlook is great and, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nursing is expected to grow much faster than the average by 2014; creating the second largest amount of new jobs among all fields in the process.
The popularity of nursing degrees has already risen due to a shortage of nurses and an abundance of jobs. Marianne Baernholdt, Ph.D., MPH, RN, is an assistant professor at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) and discusses the attraction to nursing at her school. She teaches students who have chosen nursing as a second career and have already earned their degrees in a different field. However, there is not only a shortage of nurses within the nursing profession, but also a shortage of nursing professors at nursing schools. "The two-year intensive program has three to four qualified applicants for every slot," she says. "We have to turn students away almost everyday."
Because of the popularity and the amount of students that each school can take each term, more and more schools are creating new nursing programs to accommodate for the demand. South University (Tampa, FL) just admitted its first nursing degree-seeking class of 36 students in October 2006. The president of the Tampa campus, Dan Coble, RN, Ph.D., says that the necessity of the program came after they assessed data from the Florida Center of Nursing. "Statewide," he says, "there is a need for more than 8,000 registered nurses annually just to keep up with the demand for healthcare."
Nursing and TV
So what's nursing all about? Most people only know about nursing through their own experiences at hospitals; others rely on the television for their information. But modern-day medical shows don't portray reality, according to these nursing professionals. Though Coble believes that "TV shows have heightened awareness of the various health professions and the important role they play," he doesn't think that they accurately represent the profession.
Groenwald agrees. "[Nurses] are often shown in the background doing menial tasks with the doctors taking the spotlight," she says. The reality, however, is that nurses perform the tasks that the audience views Dr. McDreamy performing on Grey's each week. Baernholdt shares the responses of her students: "Many of my current students watched the shows and wanted to go into medicine until they read about and watched actual work in a hospital." Not all students shared this sentiment, though. Baernholdt recalls that one student in paritcular decided to go into nursing after she saw first-hand that nurses fulfill the same capacities as TV doctors.
Nursing Schools Ensure Stability
According to the BLS, students seek professions that will provide them with stability. Nursing is one of these, since the demand for capable professionals is high. And as older nurses retire and the number of aging baby boomers increases, the health care field will see an increase in the need for nurses. In order to enter the profession, you'll need to have attended nursing schools in order to earn your nursing degree and credentials. The median yearly wage of RNs was $52,330 in May 2004, as reported by the BLS.
"Nursing is a hard and very demanding job, requiring a high level of skill and credentials in order to succeed," says Groenwald. That's why attending nursing schools is so important and beneficial. Groenwald advises that students "pursue [nursing] wholeheartedly," especially if one has any interest in nursing schools at all. Despite the challenges, Groenwald says, "It is both a demanding and rewarding career path."
The Popularity of Nursing
"There is a supply and demand issue present," says Susan Groenwald, BSN, MSN, president of the Chamberlain College of Nursing (St. Louis, MO). As the population increases (the U.S. Census Bureau updates the number each minute on their website and the U.S. population alone is well past 301 million), the number of nurses must rise. As a result, the job outlook is great and, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nursing is expected to grow much faster than the average by 2014; creating the second largest amount of new jobs among all fields in the process.
The popularity of nursing degrees has already risen due to a shortage of nurses and an abundance of jobs. Marianne Baernholdt, Ph.D., MPH, RN, is an assistant professor at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) and discusses the attraction to nursing at her school. She teaches students who have chosen nursing as a second career and have already earned their degrees in a different field. However, there is not only a shortage of nurses within the nursing profession, but also a shortage of nursing professors at nursing schools. "The two-year intensive program has three to four qualified applicants for every slot," she says. "We have to turn students away almost everyday."
Because of the popularity and the amount of students that each school can take each term, more and more schools are creating new nursing programs to accommodate for the demand. South University (Tampa, FL) just admitted its first nursing degree-seeking class of 36 students in October 2006. The president of the Tampa campus, Dan Coble, RN, Ph.D., says that the necessity of the program came after they assessed data from the Florida Center of Nursing. "Statewide," he says, "there is a need for more than 8,000 registered nurses annually just to keep up with the demand for healthcare."
Nursing and TV
So what's nursing all about? Most people only know about nursing through their own experiences at hospitals; others rely on the television for their information. But modern-day medical shows don't portray reality, according to these nursing professionals. Though Coble believes that "TV shows have heightened awareness of the various health professions and the important role they play," he doesn't think that they accurately represent the profession.
Groenwald agrees. "[Nurses] are often shown in the background doing menial tasks with the doctors taking the spotlight," she says. The reality, however, is that nurses perform the tasks that the audience views Dr. McDreamy performing on Grey's each week. Baernholdt shares the responses of her students: "Many of my current students watched the shows and wanted to go into medicine until they read about and watched actual work in a hospital." Not all students shared this sentiment, though. Baernholdt recalls that one student in paritcular decided to go into nursing after she saw first-hand that nurses fulfill the same capacities as TV doctors.
Nursing Schools Ensure Stability
According to the BLS, students seek professions that will provide them with stability. Nursing is one of these, since the demand for capable professionals is high. And as older nurses retire and the number of aging baby boomers increases, the health care field will see an increase in the need for nurses. In order to enter the profession, you'll need to have attended nursing schools in order to earn your nursing degree and credentials. The median yearly wage of RNs was $52,330 in May 2004, as reported by the BLS.
"Nursing is a hard and very demanding job, requiring a high level of skill and credentials in order to succeed," says Groenwald. That's why attending nursing schools is so important and beneficial. Groenwald advises that students "pursue [nursing] wholeheartedly," especially if one has any interest in nursing schools at all. Despite the challenges, Groenwald says, "It is both a demanding and rewarding career path."
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