The media and Hollywood in particular, represent one avenue in which the general public becomes familiar with the role of nurses. How do the media positively or negatively influence the public’s image of nursing? What other avenues may better educate the general public on the role and scope of nursing as well as the changing health care system?

The media is known to have immense influences on the public perception from body images to what kind of car people should buy. And the nursing image is not immune to these influences. What Hollywood transmits to the public about nurse’s works much like an advertising industry. Television has represented nurses in varying degrees and not all of them are flattering. We have been portrayed as handmaidens, angels to naughty nurses, crusty battle-axes, incompetent nurses, or drug addicted nurses. Television shows such as House, Nurse Jackie, Hawthorne, Gray’s Anatomy, and Scrubs frequently draw on nursing stereotypes that have the potential to damage the professional nursing image. Just as people are influenced by commercial or political ads, they will be influenced by these shows as well. These images of nursing on medical shows can affect roles in recruitment and retention for the profession. In a survey of student perceptions of nursing image on television, one student noted, “the public could be influenced by nursing on television and draw attention to the consequences of negative depictions of nursing because the public can develop a false view of the profession, where people may believe nurses are simply the doctor’s assistant” (Weaver & Salamonson. 2013). However, I believe that majority of people view nurses positively despite the negative roles portrayed on television. As indicated with the incident on The View in which The View mocked Miss Colorado, Kelly Johnson's monologue and stethoscope at the 2016 Miss