If there are people out there who can be identified as The Frustrated CFO's devoted readers, they probably have been to the author's Facebook page and know that, for the time being, Nurse Jackie is listed there as one of my top 5 favorite TV shows. Besides the incredible ballsiness of the creators, who do not shy away from some of the most controversial issues of healthcare industry, social division, workplace dynamics, and intimate relationships, my highest appreciation goes for the show's realistic depiction of the overwhelming human frailty.
There are no good or bad people on the show – everyone is a cunt with some redeeming moments here and there. Nobody more so than Jackie Peyton herself, all her blemishes exposed under the microscope of the show's creators. I have no right to judge, but I hope my readers will agree that Jackie can be considered severely flawed even under our contemporary, shifting moral standards. She is a shitty mother, wife, friend, girlfriend. It would be an unpleasant experience to simply bump into her on the street by accident. She is a cheater, a liar, and… oh, yes, a drug addict. As I always say, "Love the show, hate Jackie."
I can hear the opposition screaming at me, "But she is a wonderful nurse! She helped so many people!" Here's what I have to say to that: Jacky Peyton is a highly skillful professional, but she is a terrible employee, who violates all rules of her workplace and, as a result, does more damage than good. Moreover, she is an unethical employee who bestows her graces on a few people of her choosing, while screwing others.
Those who consistently watch the show probably anticipate my bringing up her current season shenanigans. But no, I will not do that. Instead, I would like to give you an example of Gross Audacity strategically introduced to us at the very start of the series.
The main medical emergency of the Pilot was a young bicycle messenger with a brain bleed. When he died, Jackie falsified his driver license to pass him as an organ donor, because she was of opinion that it was a "right thing to do." Then she sat in front of his family and lied to their disbelieving faces about it. The deceit deepened when she convinced the transplant team that Coop signed off the body release to them. Jackie can lie like no one else! And you know why she doesn't waver? Because she thinks that she is above personal wishes of a dead young man, above rules and regulations, above subordination. She believes that she can get away with anything as long as she follows her own perverse sense of right and wrong. And that's fucked up!
Here is my question for those who still think that Jackie is a Good Nurse – if you had an employee like that on your staff, how would you deal with her? By the way, this and many other cases could've landed dear Jackie in jail. Loving mother, isn't she?
The Frustrated CFO 