I will abstain from voting on the series and have very serious concerns regarding the show, which I expressed to Showtime the third week of April. 

I understand that most nurses and the media have no clue what actually happens to nurses like Jackie' in real life.  So I offered Showtime producers and Edie Falco a complimentary copy of "Unbecoming a Nurse: Bypassing the Hidden Chemical Dependency Trap" so they could be sensitive to this complex issue.  I hoped they could decrease any seductive allure to nurses, especially students, new graduates and those in recovery, who might contemplate mimicking Jackie's behavior.  I  was informed the offer was passed on, but have heard nothing since.

Research demonstrates that the brains of addicts, even in long-term recovery, light up with activity while watching graphic displays of drug use and the non-addict brain does not.  I DO believe, like Rosie Smentkowski, that there is a risk to nurses in recovery as well as the most vulnerable - those who have been exposed to mood altering substances through valid prescription or recreational experimentation.  As Vicodin was the most frequently prescribed medication during 2008, thousands of nurses fall into either or both of these susceptible groups

The link created by co-producer Liz Brixius' on-line comment, and I quote, "I would rather have this woman take care of me, my children, my loved ones when high than really any other nurse in the world," directly links the high nurse as the preferred nurse.  This is alarming.  This dangerous and provocative combination of terms invites not only loss of job and license, but professional and criminal prosecution as well as loss of health and possible death. 

When we already have someone entering an emergency room every six minutes related to a drug overdose and one death per hour from an overdose, the risk to nurses and the public seems enormous.

I havent seen the show.......maybe I shouldnt make a comment, but here goes anyhow.   I've been hooked on another show on showtime for a coupld of years  "the Tudors" and for that reason I've seen seen the commercials and what I remember was Edie Falco using a razor to cut up what I think was a lortab and then sniff it like cocaine...........  I agree with both comments north of this one if it protrays nurses using drugs like that.   My Mother in law <high school graduate> and 30 yr retirement as from St St Joeseph hospital in Atlanta.....as a pharmacy assistant............she also swears to this day that St Joes physicians prescribe cocaine.     I quit arguing a long time ago.  Sometimes its best to bite my tongue and tell my mother in law that I love her, lol.........yall know how those with a little bit of knowledge is dangerous?  THAT IS MY MOTHER IN LAW.   She has told everybody for years that nurses steal drugs, lol..........and asked me if I ever tattled on somebody who probably stole narcotics.   Well, I have tattled, but did it to cover my ass and hoped I prevented a danger to our facility.

Circumstances had me in the home of a friend who wanted to watch Nurse Jackie. That is one mistake I will not be repeating any time soon. I was disgusted. 

And Paula, you left out one other despicable action - Jackie's indiscretion in the pharmacy.

 To all of you brave nurses sharing your feelings here,

Thank you !!!

And please have your friends write in too!!!!

We need your voices.  You more than anyone count!!!!

Rosemary

I am gald to see that so far no one has found this show entertaining.  I know that TV is make believe but when we are protraying a profession that needs to be respected I think the producers need to take in to consideration the thoughts that the public may have.  I know there are nurses that do drugs and seal from patients.  It's possible to pocket pain meds from a patient that is unable to confirm meds were given.  This is where nurses need to stand up and be accountable and be the patient advocate.  I suppose the producers don't think the truth about nursing is all that interesting.  If this is the case maybe they need to look @ the ratings for Discovery Heath and see how many people watch Trauma in the ER and these shows.  These shows can be informative and how the interest of the main stream public.  How about giving the average American credit for having a brain and not wanting to watch mindless shows.  There are some bad nurses out there but does the main character have to be a pill popping, sarcastic, sex maniac~~ what about a making her a some one that young girls canlook up to.  Again I am hoping that Hawthorne will take the high road.  ~~~~ Cheryl

I posted a topic on this a week ago. I caught the show early online. Joost was allowing a "free" preview.I was appaled at how this nurse was depicted. I also pointed out how a pharmacist can't just give narcotics to a nurse like that. Again, Hollywood is clueless.

I read all of the posts last month and I am glad to see that recently a few people have stated that they like they show.  It's a TV show!  Truthfully, as a nurse I do not place myself on some pedastal to look down on others from, I am just as prone to diseases such as addiction, and marital infidelaties as the next guy...nurses are human beings too.  I am extremly proud of the job that we do as nurses, but a show that was realistic is just not what I want to watch.  And yes, I like trauma in the ER, but we do not all work in the ER.  And the discovery health show doesn't show all the people who come into the ER needing refills on their scripts, have a fever , or are drug seeking...very real but not very exciting.  Would you watch documentary at a nursing home?  I don't think so but the nurses who work at nursing homes have incredably important jobs.  If people ask you if Nurse Jackie is what it's really like, kindly let them know that you've never caught your co-worker snorting pain meds and that real nurses hardly get a lunch break, let alone have time to have sex in the pharmacy.  :-)

"Since the first episode aired, there have been dozens of nurses arrested for such incidents ranging in age from 22 to 71."

Just curious, where can I find the statistics to support your statement that drug related arrests amoung nurses have increased since the show aired? I'm sure that there have been arrests, I don't dispute that it's a big problem, only that it's reached pandemic proportions because of a 30 minute cable TV show. I'm quite confident that these arrests would have taken place with or without the show. For what it's worth, I've seen several nurses walk off the job when confronted with a drug screen. They find jobs in other hospitals. No evidence of drug use, no arrest, no blemish on their license. I'm sure they've been doing it for years. Maybe Nurse Jackie will bring this problem into the light and raise awareness about drug addiction among nurses. I'm not some huge advocate for the show, I just find it entertaining.

Again, I personally believe that a nurse who is going to abuse prescriptions will not be influenced either way by a television show. Every nurse is educated about pain medications and fully understands the addictive properties of opiates. IF a nurse is using, or planning to use I fail to see how slapping a warning label on the show is going to infulence such a profound, deeply rooted problem. It's almost insulting to think that it would.

 I think it's great this topic is still getting "hits."

Paula, keep up the good work! You  know I'm in your corner!!

Lucky13, after working with nurses in recovery, I can tell you most of them are highly educated, highly skilled nurses with little or no knowledge of addiction.  I am amazed.   Nurses do not get significant addiction education in training.  (that is true, nor do MD's) However, if a nurse was diagnosed with any other illness: breast cancer, Crohn's Disease etc  they would be EXPERT on that illness.  This does not hold true for addiction.  It could be denial, as trite as that sounds.   The other issue for active addicts and persons in recovery, the show is a trigger.  

Do you think if the show portrayed teachers instead of nurses there would be more of an uproar? (the teachers union would crush it)

My suggestion was, and remains, if the show is so entertaining, (and ratings $$$ rule) at the very least a PSA should be done at the beginning and/or the end of the show.

Whatever your view, keep talking, keep asking questions, investigate, and keep your mind open.  Public safety depends on it!!!

I like the show Nurse Jackie!    It's just a tv show!     relax,    if some nurse had it in mind to do all that stuff it didn't start because of tv.   If they can't separate reality and law from tv.......  Oh, wait...........  haven't I heard some people talking about some of the day time soap actors like they were REAL ???   And what about some of those people that try out for dancing with the stars or singing with ???      Maybe THOSE people shouldn't be allowed to watch anything but National Geographic.