The Portrayal of Health Professionals in Movies

by Adrian Johansen

Movies that show hospitals or features doctors and nurses are not uncommon. They are often used to add a sense of realism to a movie, especially drama and action films. 

But, like any other area of movie-making, it’s important to remember that films (and television shows!) are created for entertainment value. So, what you see on the screen might not always be an accurate portrayal of what would happen in a real-world situation. 

With that in mind, let’s talk about some of the realistic and unrealistic depictions of healthcare workers and the industry itself as showcased in movies and television shows. The more you understand about some of the “good” and the “bad” portrayals, the more you’ll be able to appreciate these projects for what they’re trying to do. 

How Are Doctors and Nurses Played on Screen? 

When it comes to movies and television shows, it often feels like everyone working in a hospital or healthcare setting is on an equal playing field. Shows like Nurse Jackie and Hawthorne depict the lives of excellent nurses in E.R. settings, often showcasing that the nurses in these situations are more useful than the doctors themselves. Some of these shows, however, have caused a bit of an uproar with actual medical professionals. 

In Nurse Jackie, for example, there are episodes where the main character is seen disregarding a dead patient’s body parts. She also has a drug addiction that she struggles with for the entirety of the series. While nurses do indeed have personal lives, some of the on-screen ‘antics’ simply wouldn’t fly in real healthcare settings. Edie Falco, who played Jackie, depicted the life of an E.R. nurse, but there are different types of nurses in hospitals and offices who play different roles. There isn’t just one “general” nurse who takes care of everything. Some of the different types of nurses are: 

• Genetics

• Rehabilitation

• Neonatal

• Critical care

• Addiction

• Cardiovascular

While some television shows and movies take several liberties with the portrayal of doctors and nurses, some do get it right. For example, 1996’s The English Patient portrays a nurse with one job — taking care of a man with severe burns in the wake of WWII. 

Another more accurate portrayal on the big screen comes from 1998’s Patch Adams. The film was based on real-life physician Hunter “Patch” Adams, portrayed by Robin Williams. Adams opened the Gesundheit! Institute in 1971, centered on the belief that laughter could be a great addition to modern medicine. 

Is the Information Accurate? 

While the portrayals of doctors and nurses on screen can be hit-or-miss, the information isn’t always accurate, either. One of the top-rated medical shows on television, Grey’s Anatomy, has been criticized before for getting medical information and terminology wrong. Some of the common inaccuracies are: 

• A high patient mortality rate.

• Patients being sent to the OR more frequently.

• Patients healing quickly/no sign of long-term care.

Since we’re in the age of the Coronavirus pandemic, we should also take a look at the 1995 film Outbreak, which follows a team of Army doctors as they attempt to come up with a cure for a dangerous virus brought to the United States by a monkey from Africa. According to disease expert Brian Amman, there is a slew of mistakes throughout the film including cross-contamination problems, personal protective equipment issues, and interaction with people that simply wouldn’t happen in a pandemic among healthcare professionals. 

The most accurate portrayals of healthcare workers in movies are usually found in documentaries that dive into the medical industry. Movies like A Doctor’s Sword show how a medical professional can use their expertise to survive in dire situations. Michael Moore’s 2007 documentary Sicko not only focuses on healthcare workers and first responders in the wake of the 9/11 attacks but how the American health insurance system is limiting people from getting the care they need. 

Movies Staying Ahead in Healthcare Portrayals

In order for people to continue to find the entertainment value in movies and television shows that feature health professionals, the industry needs to keep up with current trends in healthcare, including technological advances. 

One major shift in how medicine is practiced is the use of telehealth/telemedicine. Telemedicine primary care isn’t necessarily new. In fact, 76% of hospitals in the U.S. were connecting with patients through video and other forms of technology in 2017. Thanks to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has become more prominent than ever. 

Telemedicine is efficient, cost-effective (which is a huge positive for those struggling with insurance, since the only talk of universal healthcare seems to be in science fiction films like Elysium), and accessible. It closes the gap between patients and physicians and can be utilized in a variety of different medical settings, from general medicine to therapy, and even vision care. 

For movies and television shows to accurately portray what the healthcare industry will look like as we move past this pandemic, they can’t ignore the changes that have been made. With such a focus on the American healthcare system in 2020, it will be interesting to see how movies of the future take note of the major medical changes that have taken place.