EmergencyCareForYou
EmergencyCareForYou - By Liudvikas Jagminas
...This misrepresentation of CPR on television shows fosters trust in miracles and may make having end of life discussions with family members even more challenging, by having conflicting information presented; that by a physician, and the other by the TV media. In the stories retold on Rescue 911, physicians often predict poor outcomes for patients, while family members voice their hope and, in the end, their joy in the “miracle” of their loved ones' recovery. These exceptional cases may encourage the public to disregard the advice of physicians and hope that such a miracle will occur for them as well. Faith is central to our ability to maintain hope in difficult situations and often is an important adjunct to the therapy physicians offer. Belief in miracles, however, can lead to decisions that harm patients by continuing medically unnecessary interventions, some of which are invasive and painful...
...There are a number of things about hospital life that many medical TV shows commonly get wrong. One being that doctors will operate outside their specialty and perform pretty much any and every procedure needed, even if it’s a different specialty than the one they were trained in. Another example is that doctors are responsible for every step in patient care, again performing tests that trained specialists perform.
Most residents, nurses and attending physicians are not able to leave the hospital at the same time and go to the local pub for a drink. While doctors may have some romantic liaisons during their years in medical school or residency, medical TV shows drastically increase the number of relationships occurring at work, as well as the magnitude of the on-call room romance.
Medical professionals are just that — professionals dedicated to the care and service of ill patients. They work while others are at home or sleeping. Do they have frailties and imperfections? Absolutely! Do TV medical dramas accurately portray all of the aspects of the medical world? In my opinion, most certainly not."