I was reading an article the other day that was talking about the new series House. It said that House was a much more reality based medical show then Grey’s Anatomy. Trying to say that House is a reality based medical show and trying to compare it to Grey’s Anatomy (which the plot isn’t patient driven to begin with.
However, what medical situations that do arise in the show are at least in the realm of reality) is comparable to saying Desperate Housewives is a reality based show about suburban housewives. Oh come on! There is nothing even resembling reality in either one of them.
I worked in the nursing field for more than a decade and I have never seen a hospital that has the luxury of allowing a doctor with a team of young researchers to devote all their valuable time to one or two patients with an incredibly rare diagnosis in the slip shod manner in which the patient’s condition is both discovered and treated.
The scene where Dr. House was drinking shots of alcohol and getting drunk with the patient (who was a man who had been admitted to the hospital off of death row) red-lined even my credibility meter and I am pretty liberal when it comes to TV entertainment. Once they were both drunk enough House tells the patient that he knows the patient was drinking the copy fluid at the prison (trying to commit suicide) and that the alcohol they just drank combined with the chemicals making them virtually harmless.
Even I had to say, “oh come on, talk about an easy out.” I can’t even begin to count how many of the patient’s rights the man violated legally not to even mention hospital protocol, patient bill of rights, and professional ethics. I’ll stop going on about that particular episode because there are several that they really skim the rim with scenes that in the real world would be enough to make their malpractice insurance go through the roof.
I can’t help but wonder how in the world would one hospital manage to come up with such rare and incredible diagnostic feats in what appears to be an ordinary hospital that patients just magically show up in? As far as I can see it isn’t like the patients are being shipped there from other hospitals to be specially diagnosed and treated. These are just routine patients that are brought to House’s attention (usually they are one of his doctor friend’s patients).
Now, that I’ve had my little rant about the problem of House not being reality based, I have to admit to eagerly looking forward to my weekly ration of House’s smart remarks and “devil may care” attitude. I’m quite willing to set aside my credibility meter to set back and enjoy Dr. House’s cynical attitude and school boy taints as I try to figure out how he going to solve the puzzle of patient symptoms and complaints this week.
The interaction between him and hospital staff is hilarious especially now that his ex-wife has come on board. Sela Ward could brighten up any show but her sharp wit contrasted with House’s dry sense of humor will make a perfect “shot” for whatever is ailing you.
