It is through television that messages and information are conveyed to the public. Because of television's power, we as a society must step back and reconsider what is being shown and how this is influencing people s beliefs and understanding of certain issues. Too many times the general public will watch television in their living rooms and absorb not only what they are hearing but also seeing. However, over the years too many messages have been false and misleading.
Television is dangerous to people who are too trustworthy of what they hear and see.
As a result of the power of television in today s society, we need to properly educate people by accurately portraying all aspects of society. One aspect of society that all too often has been misrepresented on television is the role of nurses. Since the 1950s, the role of the nurse in melodramas, sitcoms and mini-series has been consistently underplayed and inaccurately portrayed. There is a need to reform television so that misrepresentations like these will not happen and as a result, the public will learn the truth. Unfortunately, the misrepresentation of the nurse on television has caused people to believe this representation to be the truth of a nurse s job.