On Chicago Med, the nurses steal scenes with skill and speed. But here’s what most viewers don’t know: many of the background nurses are actual registered nurses—and some even work night shifts at local hospitals between filming days.
Series consultant Kate Johnson, a former ER nurse, recruits real-life professionals to add authenticity. “They know how to hold a scalpel, how to check vitals, how to react to a flatline—not because they rehearsed it, but because they’ve lived it,” she says.
Lead actress Marlyne Barrett, who plays Maggie, has shadowed at three different hospitals since joining the show. “It changed everything,” she said. “I stopped thinking of myself as a TV nurse. I became an emotional mirror for the real ones.”
One nurse-extra recently assisted during a real medical emergency on set—before going right back into character.
For Chicago Med, realism isn’t just a style. It’s a duty.
