Over the years, there have been just a ton of nurses portrayed on television. But which ones really stood out? See if the nurses we chose are the ones you favor as well.
- Fictional Character: Consuelo Lopez
- Played by: Elena Verdugo
- Show: Marcus Welby, M.D.
From 1969-1976, nurse Consuelo Lopez was one of America’s sweethearts. She was dedicated, she was loving, and she was Latina. In fact, she is considered to be the first professional Latina character on television, as opposed to the stereotypical characters that had gone before.
- Fictional Character: Julia Baker
- Played by: Diahann Carroll
- Show: Julia
Americans audiences were introduced to a strong woman when Julia Baker came into their homes on the small screen in the TV series Julia. Baker was a widowed nurse whose husband died in Vietnam and was raising their son as a single mom. All of this was huge for 1968 TV. Like Lopez, Baker is considered to be the first African American role created for a woman that was not a stereotype. The series ran until 1971.
- Fictional Character: Samantha Taggart
- Played by: Linda Cardellini
- Show: ER
For six seasons, Samantha Taggart showed us what a competent TV nurse was like. And did all of it while balancing her precarious personal life. A single mom to a diabetic son whom she had when she was only 15, Taggart proved herself over and over.
- Fictional Character: Jackie Payton
- Played by: Edie Falco
- Show: Nurse Jackie
We watched Jackie Payton struggle: with her family, with her job, but most of all with her addiction to pain killers. We saw her lose men who adored her, watched while she nearly ruined every friendship she had, and still kept hoping for the best. Deep down, Jackie wanted to help people, but she never was able to learn to live with her addiction and take it day by day.
- Fictional Character: Carla Espinosa
- Played by: Judy Reyes
- Show: Scrubs
Carla is one of our absolute favorite TV nurses. Why? She didn’t take crap from anyone—especially not from her own doctor husband, Turk. Throughout this sitcom, Carla was real—she showed that it could be tough to have a family and a demanding job. But all through it, she kept us laughing.
- Fictional Character: Helen Rosenthal
- Played by: Christina Pickals
- Show: St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere was one of the hottest TV shows in the 1980s. It’s not surprising that the head nurse made our list. Helen Rosenthal was excellent at what she did and had the respect of the entire medical team.
- Fictional Character: Carol Hathaway
- Played by: Julianna Marguilies
- Show: ER
Before she was having affairs with hot men on The Good Wife, Julianna Marguilies was getting together with George Clooney in ER (can we have her jobs?). Nurse Carol Hathaway was tough and she made tough decisions—even if it ticked off her coworkers.
- Fictional Character: Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan
- Played by: Loretta Swit
- Show: M*A*S*H*
War is hell, and we got to see what it could be like in the comedy/drama M*A*S*H*. Houlihan or “hot lips” as she was known to most, was a tough nurse working in even tougher conditions. We saw her hold her own with the boys while taking care of injured soldiers during the Korean War. She helped pave the way for many modern TV nurses.
- Fictional Character: Zoey Barkow
- Played by: Merritt Wever
- Show: Nurse Jackie
Sure, so she drove Jackie crazy with her optimistic views and her bunny-covered scrubs. But Zoey Barkow proved she was a force to be reckoned with. Over the series, she went from being a quiet, people-pleasing wallflower to a confident nurse not afraid to speak her mind.
Think we missed someone? Let us know in the comments!
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