The Unnamed Nurses of Grey's Anatomy, House, and ER

Rodney Dangerfield said it best: They don't get no respect. All the drama in these medical shows is the province of the doctors, whether they are residents, interns or staff. Grey's Anatomy is an excellent example. In its first season it actually took some flack for mentioning nurses in demeaning or disrespectful ways, such as when Dr. Karov mistakes Dr. Grey for "just" a nurse. (To be fair, in its second season Grey's Anatomy ran an episode centered on a nurse's strike, which began giving more props to nurses, and proved that their fictional hospital, Seattle Grace, would fall apart without them.)

All the main characters on NBC's long-running medical drama ER are doctors as well. Nurses seem to be in short supply. And has Dr. Greg House, the irascible title character of FOX's House, ever said more to a nurse than, "Get out of my way"?

But it's the valiant nurses who keep these TV hospitals running, and free up the docs to get on with their business. And it's not like it's easy to become a nurse! The starting point for the majority of nurses is to become a registered nurse (RN), a health care professional who ensures that patients receive care that is appropriate, timely, and professional, in a variety of settings.

There are three major educational pathways that lead to a Registered Nurse certification, and they all begin with a college degree: a two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN), a four-year bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN), or a three-year RN diploma, sometimes referred to as a "hospital diploma." Once the student has graduated from an approved nursing program, he or she must then pass the NCLEX-RN, a national licensing examination, in order to obtain a nursing license. Most states also have their own additional requirements beyond these national requirements.

The schooling might be tough, but the payoff is a rewarding occupation and career. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that about 2.4 million people are employed as registered nurses, making this the single largest occupation in the healthcare field. Future prospects are bright as well. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of registered nurses is expected to grow "much faster than average for all occupations" well into the next decade. Due to the large number of nursing jobs that will be created, registered nurses will create the second-largest number of new jobs among all occupations in the country. Job opportunities for registered nurses will be excellent, to the point where the industry is even now experiencing difficulty attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs.

Clearly, nurses deserve more respect—on television, at least. Of all the medical series on TV, the only one that features a nurse as a major character is a comedy: Scrubs. And Carla is not "just" a nurse, but is also the voice of reason in most situations. Take that, Drs. House and Karov and all you other TV docs who under appreciate your vital assistants.

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