Grey’s Anatomy Has A Real Nurse Who Appeared More Than Patrick Dempsey

Grey’s Anatomy has propelled many careers, from previously unknown actors like Ellen Pompeo to reigniting the careers of former teen stars like Patrick Dempsey, but one uncredited actor had a bright and rewarding medical career long before the medical drama show brought her fame. Though Gray’s Anatomy has made many of its fictional surgeons household names, the show has struggled to include storylines that include nurses. Unlike the emergency first responders, who are often drawn into trauma patient storylines and eventually were given their own series with Station 19, the Grey-Sloan nursing staff has been given very little screen time.

Throughout its eighteen-season run, Grey’s Anatomy has brought to life the harrowing and fast-paced career choices that face surgeons, with little attention to the nurses that assist them in everything from triaging patients to actively saving lives. Beyond a few Grey’s Anatomy trademark love affairs that have occurred (and not lasted) between nurses and surgeons, the nursing staff has been an undeveloped source of storylines and characters for the hospital drama. This is especially disheartening due to the ongoing pandemic and the nursing crisis that has occurred as a result.

One nurse in particular, the senior surgical nurse BokHee (played by uncredited actress BokHee An) has played a vital part in more Grey’s Anatomy episodes than series favorites like the now-controversial Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, or Sara Ramirez. The petite BokHee, who like Chandra Wilson’s Dr. Bailey uses a stepstool during surgery, is also known by her Americanized name, Kathy C. An. A former scrub nurse from Los Angeles, BokHee worked in the medical field while filming the first 10 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. According to her website (www.queenbokhee.com), An was born in South Korea but moved to the US in the 1960’s. She has worked in both neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery, before retiring from nursing in 2015. In addition to her long career in healthcare, she has appeared in over 263 episodes (via IMDB) of Grey’s Anatomy, as well as other television shows like Doogie Howser, M.D., Six Feet Under, and Private Practice.

BokHee – and all her Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital nursing coworkers – deserve to have their stories told, right along with the doctors that they assist. If her Instagram account with 630k followers and hilarious “Queen BokHee” merchandise are any indication, Grey’s Anatomy can only benefit from highlighting its amazing scrub nurse and real-life hero. With Grey’s Anatomy entering its nineteenth year, now may be the best possible time to amplify the roles and storylines of the nurses who’ve been saving lives right alongside its surgeons, especially senior scrub nurse BokHee An, who deserves credit for her decades-long role.