It’s Oscar season and nominations for the 79th Academy Awards were released this week, giving us fodder to argue about our favorite movies for the next month. The little, golden men will be handed out on February 25. This year, once again, healthcare movies got snubbed by the Academy. None of the five films nominated for best picture–”Babel,” “The Departed,” “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” or “The Queen”–have a strong tie to the healthcare world. Well, we say, what gives? The last time a movie with a decent healthcare theme won Best Picture was “The English Patient” back in 1996. Before that? Try “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1975.  So, in a small attempt to make things right, we bring you the once-a-decade Healthcare Academy Awards. It’s not the Oscars; it’s the Nurses.

We won’t be doing every category, of course. Categories such as “Achievement in cinematography” and “Achievement in sound editing” won’t be included in our inaugural Nurses ceremony. We’re just going to stick to the big categories. And since there’s isn’t exactly a plethora of healthcare movies every year, we’re going to look at the last 10 years. Here we go . . .

• Best supporting actor: Robert De Niro grabs this Nurse for his portrayal of Jack Byrnes in “Meet the Parents.” Known for his hard-nosed roles, De Niro takes a step out of action and a step into comedy in this 2000 film. His simple delivery, from “Greg’s a male nurse” to “Greg’s in medicine, too” leave the audience in stitches and asking for more.
• Best supporting actress: Juliette Binoche captures the Nurse for her role as Hana in “The English Patient.” Her compassion, care, and beautiful screen presence light up the scenes in this memorable flick.
• Best actor: Amidst a sea of fine nominations including Ben Stiller (”Meet the Parents”) and Denzel Washington (”John Q,”) Robin Williams grabs the Nurse for his outstanding work in “Patch Adams.” The goofy, off-the wall antics that showed the importance of humor in medicine were perfect for Williams and his unique brand of comedy.
• Best actress: Several nominees make strong bids, but Kate Beckinsale picks up the Nurse for her portrayal of Nurse Lt. Evelyn Johnson in the 2001 film “Pearl Harbor.” While the film earned just lukewarm reviews, Beckinsale shone as the love-hungry beauty caught between loves.
• Best picture: In a shocker, “Wit,” the 2001 adaptation of a Pulitzer-Prize winning play, takes home the first Nurse in the most sought-after category. True, the movie was made for TV, which would make it ineligible for an Oscar. But these are the Nurses and this poignant journey through terminal cancer–aided by some compassionate care from an outstanding nurse–is not one to be missed.

Disagree with some of our choices? Disagree with all of them? Who do you think has delivered a Nurse-worthy performance in the last 10 years? Drop us a line at mbriddon@hcpro.com.