Abstract

Purpose: Since the perception of the public on nurses tends to be shaped substantially by the media, this study analyzed the image of nurses portrayed in Korean medical TV dramas. Methods: This study was on five Korean medical TV dramas in recent five years selected based on their popularity. Ten coders broke into five groups of two. Full episodes of each drama were assigned to each group. The coders made assessments separately and cross-matched their analysis, checking with the Holsti's method. Results: Ten of the analyzed twenty nurses were supporting characters. They were mainly in their twenties. Only one nurse was male and 13 (65%) were staff nurses. Nurses were described as strong (30.0%), active (30.8%) and kind (40.0%). They were mostly portrayed discussing patients mainly with doctors (24.4%). In terms of their attitude toward work, they appeared diligent (37.6%) and communicative (31.6%). Conclusion: There have been positive changes compared to past studies. Despite the enhancement in the image of nurses in medical dramas, there is yet a long way for dramas to properly portray the professionalism nurses truly have. Further research is needed and diverse measures should be taken for the improvement in the social recognition of the nursing profession.

Keywords

• Image of nurses;
• Media;
• Korean medical TV drama

• 간호사이미지;
• 대중매체;
• 국내의학드라마;