The Top 10 Best Movie Nurses
5. Sister Luke (Gabrielle “Gaby” Van Der Mal)- The Nun’s Story
Sister Luke is one of the more tragic figures on this list of movie nurses. She joins a convent of nursing sisters in the hopes that she will be able to help people in the Congo. Alas, things don’t always go your way and she experiences a lot of push back from her Mother Superior, despite being at the top of her class. Almost out of spite, she’s denied her preferred posting time and again. When she does finally get to go to the Congo, she’s assigned to making sure the white folks don’t get sick. It’s no wonder that Sister Luke has a crisis of faith after seeing how the Church picks and chooses who they want to help. Realizing that she can’t help the people who need it the most where she is, Sister Luke drops the church like a… bad habit! (See what I did there?)
4. Annie Wilkes- Misery
Annie Wilkes is definitely the scariest character on this list of movie nurses. That’s to be expected when you’re the brainchild of Stephen King. Now, you’re probably wondering why dear old Annie is so high up on the list given that she’s an absolute psychopath. Well, as horrifying as she is, I have to admit she really seems to know what she’s doing medically speaking. The whole hobbling thing was handled pretty efficiently and there wasn’t enough evidence from her previous victims for the court to convict her. So, we know that she’s got a good eye for detail and that’s an important quality for a nurse to have. Being the stuff of nightmares… Not so much. Still, when it comes to movie nurses few are as memorable as Annie Wilkes. Besides, Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her performance as the terrifying Wilkes.
3. Hana- The English Patient
There’s a lot more to being a nurse than just making sure your patient takes their meds and that they aren’t being a complete idiots. I’ve mentioned bedside manner before, but Hana has some of the best I’ve ever seen on the big screen. She’s a nurse during World War II assigned to taking care of some grievously injured soldiers, including one with burns over the vast majority of his body. Being the 1940s, there isn’t much that can be done for the guy, but that doesn’t stop Hana from sitting with him and listening to him tell his story. Offering comfort in the face of suffering is a big part of the job description for nurses and even when she can’t do anything else to help ease his pain, she offers a shoulder for him to lean on. That makes her one of the best movie nurses I’ve ever seen.
2. Greg Focker- Meet the Parents Trilogy
Not all movie nurses are women! Seriously, it’s kind of a hurtful stereotype and I’m glad that Greg kicked it to the curve by being a damn fine nurse. After acing the MCATS, Greg decided not to go to medical school and instead got his degree in nursing, because it would allow him to get to know patients better and be more hands-on with their care. In other words, he became a nurse for all the right reasons and excels at his job. Of course, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a bumbling idiot from time to time as well. It’s hard to blame the guy. I mean, trying to impress Robert De Niro is probably way more stressful than any medical emergency Greg’s ever faced.
1. Marta Cabrera- Knives Out
It just so happens that one of my favorite movies of 2019 also had one of the best movie nurses I’ve ever seen. Ana de Armas plays a home caregiver for one of the most renowned authors in the world known for crafting incredible murder mysteries. It seems like a pretty cushy job, especially since the two get along so well. Well enough that she might actually be a financial threat to the Author’s insufferable spoiled family. Well enough that someone might frame her for murder. Luckily, she has one of the greatest movie detectives to help her out of this pickle. If you haven’t seen Knives Out, I don’t want to spoil it by revealing why Marta is at the top of this list. Let’s just say that she’s so good at her job she could do it blindfolded and has the heart of a caregiver to boot.
Those are my picks for the best movie nurses of all time. There are a lot more out there in movieland. So, if I forgot one of the greats leave a comment below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as more movie nurses appear on the big screen, and you should check back to see how the rankings might change in the future.