A Noteworthy Binge: Nurse Jackie

Not everyone has time in their daily routine to commit to an hour long show, so for busy folk, we bring you the Showtime series “Nurse Jackie.”

The story follows perpetually self-destructive Nurse Jackie through her days at All Saint’s Hospital in New York City and her home life.

Jackie is an emergency room nurse who is exceptional when it comes to dealing with distraught, aggressive and trauma patients. The snag in her life comes when her addiction to pain medication, mainly Oxycontin, starts to destroy the pillars of her life.

Addiction on television is typically displayed through the worst-case crack house junkie or a raging alcoholic, but “Nurse Jackie” shows the functionality and desperation that comes with addiction.

She struggles to conceal her overwhelming cravings throughout the first couple seasons from her family. Eventually, Jackie loses the trust of those around her after her attempts at detox, rehab and narcotics anonymous fail. Her stable ground is the hospital, but over time, the hospital becomes a place equally as difficult to evade her addiction.

The intriguing part of this show is how her friends and family all help her. They only begin to separate themselves from Jackie when her addiction causes her to betray their trust.

Another reason to watch is the accurate display of the nursing profession. Nurses are the right hand people to the doctors who struggle with money and family just like the elite within the hospital hierarchy. Jackie has been nursing for over 20 years and the doctors trust her instinct when it comes to diagnosing patients. She is esstiential to the everyday operations of All Saint’s Hospital.

“Nurse Jackie” incorporates many different walks of life in their patient list. Some are wealthy, others are impoverished. Some are looking to score drugs and others are struggling to live due to existing health problems. But, none of the cases are extreme cases or rare diseases. Many times viewers see the same disease or ailment over and over just like a normal hospital would.

If you can spare 30 minutes within your day, this show will keep you hooked on the facets of Jackie’s complex life. The characters will also draw you in as you begin to connect with everyone in her orbit.

Shows such as “Girls,” “Nip/Tuck” and “Weeds” may spark interest after watching “Nurse Jackie.”

Starring: Edie Falco, Merritt Wever, Peter Facinelli, Paul Schulze, Dominic Fumusa, Stephen Wallem, Anna Deavere Smith, Eve Best, Ruby Jerins, and Mackenzie Aladjem.