Madame Pomfrey: Why she is the cause of, and the cure for, the current global nursing shortage

MADAME POMFREY: WHY SHE IS THE CAUSE OF AND THE CURE FOR THE CURRENT GLOBAL NURSING SHORTAGE

Shirley K. Comer RN, MSN, JD.Governors State UniversityPresented by Sigma Theta Tau – Lambda Lambda Chapter

OVERVIEW

Examine the conflicting portraits of Madame Pomfrey in the Harry Potter Canon

Compare her role to established stereotypes of nursing roles in the media

Discuss how these media portrayals have contributed to the current nursing global shortage

MADAME POMFREY: WHO IS SHE?

Name: Poppy Pomfrey Title: Nurse, Matron

MADAME POMFREY: WHO IS SHE?

Age: at least 40’s Early appearance in books Marital Status: Unknown Family: Unknown Residence: Sleeps in office in Hospital

Wing Sole healthcare provider at Hogwarts

Nurse vs. healer?

MADAME POMFREY: WHO IS SHE?

Described as: Nice but very strict Fussy Bustling Hysterical Never asking too many questions

When she speaks she is: Tut-tutting Clucking disapprovingly Severe Disgusted furious Sniffily

CHARACTORISTICS

Is universally regarded as competent Is obsessed with providing rest for her patients Takes an old-fashioned , paternalistic approach

to healthcare Is not always allowed to control the Hospital

wing Has a cure for the common cold Claps her hand to her mouth when surprised Protective of patients Uses non verbal spells easily

UNPROFESSIONAL VS. COMIC RELIEF

Forces treatment on patients Slams doors and losses temper Need for order sometimes

compromises patient care Breaches confidentiality Threatens patient with wand Openly critical of peers

MADAME POMFREY IN THE FILMS

Portrayed by Gemma Jones Costume resembles early Victorian

styles Only appears in Chamber of Secrets

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

Madame Pomfrey is revealed to have escorted Remus Lupin to the whomping Willow every month when he transformed

Significant breakdown of professionalism after the dementor attack

Madame Pomfrey is not notified that Dragons will be used for the 1st task of the Triwizard Tournament

Weasley Family does not doubt her pronouncement that nothing can be done for Bill

Ginny Weasley is disrespectful

CURRENT GLOBAL NURSING SHORTAGE

Projected deficit of more than 1 million nurses by 2010

20% shortage predicted by 2020 Due in part to fewer young people choosing

nursing as a career Also due to baby boomer nurses retiring Current Faculty shortage Worldwide shortage Research has shown that medial portrayals of

nurses have an adverse effect on recruiting

NURSING STEREOTYPES

The Naughty Nurse

NURSING STEREOTYPES

The BattleAxe

NURSING STEREOTYPES

The Bubble Head

NURSING STEREOTYPES

The Angel of Mercy

NURSING STEREOTYPES

The Handmaiden

NURSING STEREOTYPES

The Nurse who should have been a doctor

MEDIA IMAGES OF NURSING: LITERATURE

Sairey Gamp Charles Dickens character in Martin Chuzzlewit.

Fat old woman Took snuff, red swollen nose Smelled of alcohol Uncaring

Nurse Pool Jane Austin Competent, gossip

Cherry Ames Nursing detective series

MEDIA IMAGES OF NURSING: TV AND FILM

Nurses are mostly absent from TV Leaves the impression that Physicians do all

of the work Grey’s Anatomy Did you call me a nurse Private Practice “Midwif” ER firing nurses House yes, doctor House doable

News media ignores nursing even when doing stories about nurses

MADAME POMFREY'S IMAGE

Madame Pomfrey is portrayed as: Competent Battleaxe

She is not portrayed as: The naughty nurse The handmaiden The bubble head The angel The nurse who should have been a doctor

CONSEQUENCES OF NURSING MEDIA IMAGE

Physicians regularly receive credit for the work of nurses and other health care professionals “Marcus Welby” syndrome

Marginalizes Nursing’s contribution to healthcare Gives the impression that physicians are the ones to

make things happen and make a difference Young people, who may choose nursing as a future

career, gain no insight into the profession Encourages public to believe that physicians control

nursing practice Encourage public to believe that nursing is not

intellectual

WHY MADAME POMFREY IS THE CAUSE OF THE NURSING SHORTAGE

Canon presents her in a conflicted way Nice but strict Caring but harsh Trusted but not always respected Competent but sometimes unprofessional Willing to occasionally look the other way

but a control freak Conflicting portrayals rob her of status

and leave her open to ridicule

WHY MADAME POMFREY IS THE CURE FOR THE CURRENT NURSING SHORTAGE

Many young people read Harry Potter She is universally considered a competent

practitioner Her ability to cure just about anything is widely

admired Her professional status within the magical

healthcare community is not subservient to a healer or physician

Dumbledore shows great trust in her abilities Overall she presents a positive, if old-fashioned

portrait of a caring competent nurse.

MADAME POMFREY ON SUMMER VACATION

Researching the medicinal use of the Imperious curse for magical pain control and advocating for the deregulation for health care purposes.

Researching longevity intervention in the magical world

Inventing a potion that provides patients with just the right amount of rest

Investigating a new charm that will seal the infirmary door to all unauthorized visitors

Inquiring about a security Troll to assist in removing unnecessary visitors

QUESTIONS!