Nursing Representativity in Television Health Series

Abstract

Objective: to analyze how nursing is represented by the series that portray the context of clinical health care. v Method: a descriptive, exploratory study carried out in a public Higher Education Institution. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with nursing students. Data analysis was performed through content analysis, supported by IRAMUTEQ version 0.7 and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.0 software. Results: the analysis of the data allowed for the identification of two categories directly related to the role of nursing and to the power relations between the characters. Yet, although television series are common among nursing students, they have not influenced them in choosing the course. However, the positive perception on the part of some interviewees was related to admiration for the field of human health, but not with the nursing characters represented in the television shows. Conclusion: nursing in health series is not perceived as a leading category in its responsibilities in the care process, but only as an auxiliary group. It is noticed that the media reproduces the biomedical model, emphasizing the medical professional as the central character in clinical care.