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Buffy
A nurse talks about working on the set
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Buffy
A nurse talks about working on the set
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By
Cynthia Boris Working with vampires may sound like bloody business, but for Sandy Bollish, LVN, it’s all in a day’s work. As the set nurse for the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Bollish acts as adviser, counselor, and bandager. Her job is to make sure everyone stays healthy enough to work. "TV crews are hard on themselves," Bollish said. "They have high-pressure jobs and they push themselves, coming to work even when they’re sick." A typical day on "Buffy" may go from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m., and they do it five days a week. OSHA regulations require that someone who is certified to give first aid—usually a nurse or medical technician—be present as long as anyone is working, which means staying until the last camera is stowed and the lights are shut off, long after the actors go home. Those long hours can pay off, though. A set nurse’s salary ranges from $16 to $23 per hour. Getting started But Bollish doesn’t complain about the hours. She considers herself lucky to be working in her chosen field. When she first moved to Los Angeles from the East Coast, people told her it would take months or even years to start working in the business. "Well, I didn’t have months to sit around. I needed a job," Bollish said. So she bought the equipment — everything from a blood pressure cuff to a bag filled with trauma gear—to get herself on the approved list of nurses of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts. Then she went to every production office in town offering to work at the last minute, any time of the day or night. It wasn’t long before she got a break. The jobs started rolling in: "Vampire in Brooklyn," "Quantum Leap," "The Visitor," and finally "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Prepared for anything On "Buffy," the potential for an emergency is ever present. Over the run of the series, Bollish has been on hand for stunt fights, fires, car crashes, and high dives. She knows the key to a safe set is always being prepared.
"I get the script for the show ahead of time so I can envision the worst-case scenario," she said. For example, a recent episode required the show’s star, Sarah Michelle Geller, to be in a dive tank to film underwater scenes. "She has to think about her lines. I have to think about possible drowning and dehydration," Bollish said. Bollish keeps a stock of supplies, including bandages, antiseptic, splints, and an oxygen tank, close at hand at all times, and when the crew moves to a new location, she does too. If an accident does happen, Bollish is only a second away thanks to a headset she always wears. "The people here are great about keeping me informed," Bollish said. Stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt gives her plenty of notice before his actors leap, fall, and set themselves on fire. Thanks to this kind of cooperation, there has never been a serious accident on her current set, she said. "Jeff is very safety conscious, which makes my job a lot easier." The best thing about Bollish’s job? "We’re like a family. We’re together five days a week for 12 or more hours, sometimes working under very difficult conditions. There’s a bonding that comes with that." And the down side of being a set nurse? "The paperwork!" Bollish said. She’s required to keep several sets of records tracking everything she does for the cast and crew. When all is said and done, she’d much rather be soothing a sore throat than filling out forms. |
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