When Maggie was the charge nurse in the ED, her storyline was explored to the fullest. Viewers saw her face her battle with cancer, meet the love of her life, reunite with the daughter she had given up for adoption, and face the unknown waters of divorce. She was a well-rounded character who many fans considered a favorite.
Maggie’s departure left a bitter taste with the Chicago Med viewers because it wasn’t explained the way a character of her degree deserves. Furthermore, she has never been mentioned again, making it seem as if the character has long been forgotten. But what was very clear and, truthfully, expected was that Doris took over as the charge nurse.
Doris has always been Maggie’s number two. Whenever Maggie needed a backup, Doris was there. If Maggie needed time off, Doris was there. Doris always jumped to the rescue, proving she was one of the most reliable nurses in the ED. So when the time came for someone else to step up, nobody hesitated to give Doris that role. She deserves it more than anyone.
However, the show seems to have forgotten the importance of the charge nurse’s role. When Maggie was around, she was a top-priority character, giving her some of the best storylines. In Doris’s case, her character is barely explored beyond the surface. On the contrary, most of her interactions are used as comedic relief.
While Lorena Diaz has proven time and time again that she performs those one-liners and short interactions perfectly, it would actually be far more entertaining to see her as involved as we used to see Maggie. She knows everything that happens in the ED; something that’s been confirmed with comments such as letting Hannah Asher and Dean Archer know that their ship name is Dasher. Doris has eyes and ears everywhere.
During Chicago Med season 11, episode 16, “The Book of Charles,” it was revealed that she not only knows what happens in the ED but also has information about her colleagues’ personal lives. Without Doris’s comment about following Anna on Instagram, Charles may have never found out about her new boyfriend. While it was fun and entertaining to watch her roll out details that drove Charles crazy, there is a clue to Doris’s potential.
Her character is capable of more than simply yelling which trauma room is open or what cases are coming in. It’s intriguing that the show hasn’t wanted to explore her character beyond that. For a writing team that has no issue exploring the personal lives of the doctors, there is a lot lacking when it comes to the lives of the nurses.
Hopefully, as the show rolls into its twelfth season, Doris will earn the spot she deserves.