Nurses, Get Ready for ‘St. Denis Medical’ to Return with Real-World Hospital Humor
- Real-world resonance: Though exaggerated, the show’s focus on staffing shortages, administrative strain, and emotional load echoes many nurses’ experiences—making it a rare sitcom that speaks directly to healthcare professionals.
- Guest-star impact: Season 2 brings high-profile guest stars (Draymond Green, Adam Rippon, and Wayne Knight among others) which can draw new viewers, and for nurse audiences, this means more varied “patient” scenarios, specialty cases and supporting-staff cameos to watch for.
- Plot deepening the nursing lens: With a major donation shaking up the hospital’s structure in Season 2, nurses and viewers will see storylines around change management, inter-department tension, and work-life intersections—issues very relevant to nursing practice and team dynamics.
Image source: NBC
Update: 11/3/25
The mockumentary sitcom St. Denis Medical returns tonight with its second season, and nurses and other healthcare professionals will find plenty familiar (and plenty new) in the halls of this under-dog Oregon hospital.
Premiere Date & How to Watch
Season 2 of St. Denis Medical premieres tonight (November 3rd) at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on NBC, with episodes available to stream next day on Peacock.
Episodes will air back-to-back on the premiere night.
What to Expect in Season 2
As in Season 1, the series follows the everyday (and not-so-everyday) lives of the doctors and nurses at the fictional St. Denis Medical hospital in Oregon, where resource constraints, quirky patients, and workplace chaos meet heartfelt moments.
In Season 2, the hospital receives a major private donation, which triggers a cascade of changes, and more than a few unintended consequences for the staff.
Allison Tolman returns as Alex, the supervising nurse with workaholic tendencies and the steady anchor of the nursing team. She balances sharp humor with the everyday chaos of patient care and staff drama.
Hospital administrator Joyce (played by Wendi McLendon‑Covey) will face not only operational headaches, but more of her personal life (and her employees’ personal lives) will come under the microscope. “We're going to get into the personal lives of a lot of the characters, specifically the romance part,” McLendon-Covey tells People.
Viewers can also expect more story arcs about staff shortages, office politics, burnout, and the human side of hospital work — issues very familiar to nurses on the front lines.
Guest Stars & New Faces
Season 2 will bring a robust list of guest stars across the episodes, which add new characters and fresh comedy to the hospital setting. According to Variety, the notable guests include:
- Draymond Green: yes, the NBA player! He is a guest patient in the premiere.
- Lauren Weedman: she returns to the series as Nurse Pam, a retired charge nurse who comes back to work during an understaffing crisis at the hospital.
- Adam Rippon: retired figure skater and media personality who won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
- Wayne Knight: actor best known for playing Newman in the sitcom Seinfeld (1992–1998) and Dennis Nedry in the film Jurassic Park (1993).
- Jeremiah Brown: the reality TV alum from Love Island USA makes his acting debut.
- Other guest stars: well known comedian/actors like Kristen Schaal, Ariana Madix, Tim Baltz, Lauren Lapkus, Frankie Quiñones.
Why St. Denis Medical Matters for Nurses
St. Denis Medical offers something more than just workplace comedy. It reflects (albeit in exaggerated form) many of the real-life pressures nurses face: under-staffing, budget cuts, emotional labour, the balance of patient care and self-care, and the interplay between clinical roles and administrative decisions. The second season’s focus on personal lives and relational dynamics echoes the way nurses’ work and personal worlds often overlap.
In addition, guest-star storylines (patient cases, quirky admissions, specialty consults) highlight how nurses must coordinate, adapt, and maintain patient-centered care even when systems falter. For nurses wanting a mix of humor and familiarity, this season promises to deliver.
🤔Nurses, are you watching St. Denis Medical? Share your thoughts in the discussion forum below!
Original Article - 12/4/24
A new medical comedy recently premiered on Peacock and it is already finding an engaged audience of loving nurses. "St. Denis Medical," now streaming on Peacock, offers a refreshing and hilarious take on hospital life that many nurses are finding both entertaining and relatable. As the latest addition to the mockumentary genre, the show’s sharp writing, relatable characters, and humor about the realities of nursing is likely to be a favorite among healthcare professionals looking for a laugh after a long shift.
The show had strong ratings when it debuted its first two episodes on November 12, 2024, with more than 7 million total viewers across NBC, Peacock, and other platforms. On Peacock, it is NBC’s No. 1 most-watched comedy launch.
Check out the first episode on YouTube
A Prescription for Laughter
Set in an Oregon hospital struggling with limited funding and staff shortages, "St. Denis Medical" takes a unique approach to storytelling by adopting a mockumentary style reminiscent of beloved comedies like "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation." Creators Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin had experience writing on “Scrubs” and “The Office” before developing other workplace comedies like “Superstore” and “American Auto.”
By using the mockumentary style, "St. Denis Medical" allows for candid moments and fourth-wall-breaking interviews that add an extra layer of humor to the already witty script. The result is a show that feels authentic in its portrayal of hospital chaos while maintaining a lighthearted tone.
The premiere, titled “Welcome to St. Denis,” kicks off with a bold joke about overdosing, setting the tone for a show that isn’t afraid to tackle the darker sides of healthcare while keeping things light-hearted.
We quickly meet nurse supervisor, Alex (Allison Tolman), and learn the all-too-relatable reason she became a nurse: “when I was in college, my nan got sick, so we spent a lot of time in the hospital. And that's when I realized that the nurses really provide the ‘care’ part of health care. So I became an RN and I love it.” Throughout the first two episodes, we see Alex is the glue that holds the hospital unit together, often by sacrificing her personal life due to work commitments.
We also meet other eccentric cast members like Joyce (Wendi McLendon-Covey), the executive director with a penchant for misguided enthusiasm about turning St. Denis into a "destination medical facility" - a phrase that sounds more like a bad vacation brochure than a healthcare strategy. While her character initially comes off as a typical clueless boss (“We have the best breast test in the West!”), her emotional moments are surprisingly touching, reminding us that even in comedy - and, of course, nursing - there can be depth.
Other cast standouts are Ron (David Alan Grier), who we watch navigate his professional duties and his dating life; new nurse “schmuck” Matt (Mekki Leeper), who makes many relatable rookie mistakes; and Val (Kaliko Kauahi), whose deadpan delivery is both refreshing and relatable for anyone who has worked in healthcare. Val’s interactions with patients are memorable, especially when she hands out a number to the White House, suggesting they call Joe about the nursing shortage… because why not? If only it were that easy to solve the nursing shortage!
New Nurse Show Resonating with Nurses
There are several reasons why nurses may enjoy "St. Denis Medical”:
- Relatable Chaos: The show expertly captures the unpredictable nature of hospital life, from endless paperwork to unexpected patient dramas. This authenticity allows nurses to see their own experiences reflected on screen, albeit in a more comedic light.
- Lovable Characters: Each character is uniquely flawed and endearing, making it easy for viewers to find someone to root for or relate to. The diverse cast ensures that there's a character for everyone, whether you're the overworked supervisor or the enthusiastic newcomer.
- Heartfelt Moments: While the show primarily focuses on humor, it doesn't shy away from genuine, touching moments that remind viewers why they entered the healthcare profession in the first place. This balance of comedy and heart gives the series depth and keeps it from becoming too silly or unrealistic.
Nurses’ reactions on show forums and comments sections have been mostly supportive, with some critiques of shaky camera moments which seemed unnecessary and noticeable.
- “True to life? The opening skit with the nurse was word-for-word my spiel to discharging ODs… And for once they didn't portray nurses as faceless extras or shrieking mean girls. That delicious combination of take-no-sh&t and compassion that really is the best of our profession.”
- “Really nailed the toxic positivity of c-suite”
- “Watched the first two episodes and they nailed the hospital vibe lol, loved it so far”
- “I like it so far. I do kind of cringe at Alex, but its because i work with a ‘theres a right way to do things and its my way, so I'll just do it for you’ workaholic charge nurse lol they nailed it”
- “I can't believe this is real, like someone actually made a medical comedy from the inside.”
How to Watch "St. Denis Medical"
For those eager to check out the show, new episodes of "St. Denis Medical" air every Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC. If you can't catch it live, don't worry – episodes are available to stream on Peacock the following day, allowing nurses with varying schedules to enjoy the show at their convenience.
🤔Nurses, are you watching St. Denis Medical? Share your thoughts in the discussion forum below!
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