Telling it like it is.

Since nurses are such a prevalent part of medical care, it is not unusual to see nurses portrayed in the media, from print media to television, in both fictional and real-life situations. But rarely are nurses depicted in a realistic manner, nor are nursing issues addressed completely or appropriately. Since media depictions of nurses play an important role in shaping healthcare public policy and actions, the image of nursing in the media is of critical importance to our present and future practice.

The Center for Nursing Advocacy keeps watch on media portrayals of nurses, and publishes a yearly top-ten list of the best and worst presentations of nurses in the media. The best depictions of nurses are written by or with nurses and reflect the nature of the profession: an educated professional, able to practice with some degree of autonomy, involved, and compassionate. Lifeline: The nursing diaries, which aired in November 2004 on the Discovery Health Channel, was a good example of a well-written documentary about nursing. More documentaries like this one need to be written. Johnson & Johnson have notable ads about nurses and the contributions they make, which highlight for the public the importance of nursing. Some of the issues of importance to nursing are beginning to appear as well; for example, the nursing and nursing faculty shortages have been addressed with greater frequency, and patient safety issues have received greater attention.

A disproportionate number of the worst depictions were created by writers, with physician, rather than nurse, input. This fact highlights the need to educate even physicians about the contributions of nurses. Fortunately, many of the socially inappropriate portrayals of nursing seen in the 1970s and 1980s have disappeared from the media. However, nurses still appear as handmaidens to physicians, unable to make independent decisions. A disconcerting image of nursing increasingly found in media is that of the nurse as a criminal. Multiple stories were found in print and television media about nurses as substance abusers or serial killers--certainly not anywhere close to the norm in nursing.

Not only are appropriate media portrayals of nurses important, but more coverage is needed as well. Physicians and scientists are not the only heroes in the medical profession. Overall, the nursing contribution to major health issues facing Americans remains largely ignored. It is time for nurses to speak up about what appears in the media. If a good story appears, let the producer or editor know you saw it and liked it. Write to your newspaper or television station asking for more coverage of nursing. The Center for Nursing Advocacy (nursingadvocacy.org) offers further suggestions for actions to take and on how to develop nurse-driven media.

As we read a news story or watch a television program, most of us recognize the inaccuracies in how nurses are portrayed, and either laugh about them or ignore them. Perhaps this is the wrong approach, because it allows the inaccurate portrayals to continue. It is time for us to become active in promoting the positive contributions of nurses. Let people know that a portrayal is inaccurate. If you read an article or view a program that portrays nursing poorly, write to the editor or the show's producer with your criticisms and concerns. Offer your services as a media consultant. After all, what better consultant is there than a practicing nurse? We have a great voice, and we should use it.

Chris Stewart-Amidei

Editor