There are quite a few nurse movie lists out there, and we’ve even done one or two ourselves. However, we also wanted to include some movie nurses that aren’t always recognized for their awesomeness to give all the great film nurses their due.
So check out our new list below, and let us know which film nurses you would have included!
Madam Poppy Pomfrey – The Harry Potter Series
The first two on this list also appeared on our favorite sci-fi and fantasy nurse list, but how could we not start out with a nurse able to regrow bones?! Madam Pomfrey is the “matron-in-charge” of the hospital wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter books and films. She uses all manner of potions and remedies for the students of the Hogwarts world.
She appears in three of the films of the series (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2) and is played by Gemma Jones. Unfortunately, none of Madam Pomfrey’s scenes seem to have made it onto YouTube, so we can’t show you a clip of her awesome nursing skills–you’ll have to trust us and check out the films yourself!
Alyssa Ogawa – Star Trek Generations/Star Trek: First Contact
Only one nurse on our list doesn’t perform her nursing duties on Earth, but we think that’s pretty awesome, too!
Played by Patti Yasutake, Nurse Alyssa Ogawa appeared on the USS Enterprise-D first in the television show Star Trek: The Next Generation. She also was in two movies from the franchise: Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact.
She’s also the only nurse on our list from the future, as she joins the crew in 2367. A glimpse into the future of our profession?
Since it’s a movie, the character doesn’t have to be a real nurse, right? In the dark comedy Nurse Betty, Renee Zellweger assumes the identity of a nurse because she believes she is a character on her favorite soap opera after she suffers a nervous breakdown.
Many more shenanigans come before and after this portion of the movie, but many would involve spoilers that we’ll stay away from here. Suffice it to say, Nurse Betty is not your typical movie nurse!
Florence Nightingale – Florence Nightingale
We were a bit disappointed to learn that the only movies to focus on one of the most famous nurses in history were only available as TV movies in the UK. However, we couldn’t leave Florence Nightingale off our list!
Her life has been the subject of two UK television movies, one from 1985 and a more recent one from 2008. The later version stars Laura Fraser as Nightingale.
Greg Focker – Meet the Parents/Meet the Fockers
The only male nurse on the our list, Greg Focker consistently endures derision from his future father-in-law due to his profession. Greg is played by Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents and its sequel, Meet the Fockers; his father-in-law is played by Robert De Niro.
Most of this derision is presented in the form of common cliches and stereotypes that we hear all too often about the males in our profession. However, some have argued that the way Greg handles and typically rises above the attacks on his profession are a commentary on the very same cliches and stereotypes being thrown about. Nurses: chime in on your view of the movie — does it help the cause of the male nurse or just promote the cliches?