The Image of Nursing

The Image of Nursing

Darlene DArcangelo, RN

Ferris State University

My PPT is on the image of nursing, how it is perceived and how it has changed throughout the years

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Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations (Nursing World, 2013).

What is nursing?

Nursing as a profession embodies many values inherent in those who pursue nursing careers. When nurses are asked to identify their core values, they are surprisingly consistent throughout the profession globally. They include honesty, responsibility, pursuit of new knowledge, belief in human dignity, equality of all patients and the desire to prevent and alleviate suffering.

Nursing as a Profession

Nursing is not just a mere occupation it is a profession.

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Florence Nightingale- provision of optimal conditions to enhance recovery.

Virginia Henderson- Nurses function is to assist clients, sick or well, in performing those activities contributing to health, recovery, or peaceful death-activities that they would perform unaided if they had the necessary strength, will or knowledge. Helps client gain independence as soon as possible.

Dorothea Orem- A helping service to persons who are wholly or partly dependent when those responsible for their care are no longer able to give care. A creative effort of one human being to help another.

Theorists behind Nursing Profession

A caring nature

Be empathetic

Be detail-oriented

Be emotionally stable

Be adaptable

Have physical endurance

Be a quick thinker

Have great judgment

Be hard-working

Have great communication skills

Top 10 Traits Every Nurse Should Have

All levels of nursing depend on the publics understanding of how and why nurses are essential members of the healthcare team.

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Reflection of professional nursing practice is learned through media. The widely held view that nursing is not intellectually demanding or challenging is the result of media representation of nurses. The sentimental image of inadequately educated but nurturing and kindhearted assistant at the bedside is outdated (Benner, Sutphen, & Leonard, 2010).

Medias impact on Nursing image

Physician and nursing characters in entertainment media

STUDY

RESULTS

Kalisch & Kalisch (1986) conducted a comparative analysis of nurse and physician characters in entertainment media. The study reported findings from a content analysis of 670 nurses and 466 physician characters portrayed in novels, films, and prime-time TV series published or produced from 1920-1980.

Media RNs predominantly female 99%

Caucasian 95.6%

Single 71%

Barren 89.4%

Less intelligent & rational

Media MDs predominantly male 92.5%

Older & more often parental figure

Stronger and more compassionate role

Blaming the media and Hollywood for the poor image of nursing is not going to move the nursing profession toward a positive image. Nurses need to work with the media to create more realistic portrayals of nursing

and communicate to the public the impact nursing care provides to patients and hospitals

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Stereotypes of Nursing

(Cohen & Bartholomew, 2008; Darbyshire, 2010)

Nurses were white uniforms and white hat

All nurses are predominantly female

Male nurses are less respected and are all gays

All nursing jobs are the same

Nurses cannot advance in their profession

Nursing duties are not hard to perform

Nurses are failed doctors

Nurses work for doctors

The naughty nurse stereotype

The ministering angel stereotype

These stereotypes and images does not appeal to sophisticated, discipline-oriented, educated people who wish to be taken seriously as a professional

According to studies from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the reason for low numbers of men entering nursing include role stereotypes, economic barriers, few mentors, gender biases, lack of direction from early authority figures, misunderstanding about the practice of nursing, and increased opportunities in other fields (Meyers, 2003, p.18).

Men and nursing

Historically, men are not newcomers to nursing

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A licensed nurse is expected to provide safe and effective nursing care following the appropriate standards of care approved by professional standards

The regulatory boards of nursing protect the public through strict guidelines required to prevent nursing graduates from achieving licensure status unless a safe level of nursing knowledge is demonstrated by passing a tough national licensure examination

Establishment of Professional Associations (ANA)

Taking charge of nursing image

Nursing effects more than one platform the true professional nurse contributes to society. In order to achieve excellent patient care all prior contributions must be met

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Cohen & Bartholomew (2008) report results from an online survey with 1,142 respondents who provided their opinions and perceptions about the image of nursing profession. The respondents were asked to rate items they felt affect the image of the nurse.

Survey

The actions with highest responses were the following:

How we present ourselves to patient and families 98.9%

Whether the patient /family feels we care 98.6%

How skilled we appear to be at our jobs 96.3%

How we act around nurses station 94.6%

Survey cont.

Survey cont.

Nurses are the front line to GREAT CARE

What do you think the individual nurse can do to help shape a more realistic image of nursing?

Appearance

Behavior

Communication skills

Education/ competency

Professional organizations

Public education/awareness

One of the number one complaints for unprofessionalism was appearance, it was stated that nurses dressed sloppily in wrinkled uniforms or in cartoonish type scrubs(if not a peds nurse). People do not want to see horse play amongst staff, communicate as a professional not lie you were talking to one of your friends

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All levels of nursing depend on the publics understanding of how and why nurses are essential members of the health care team

Mass media plays a major role in shaping learned social behavior

Nurses need to work with media to create more realistic portrayals of nursing and communicate to the public the impact nursing care provides to patients and hospitals (Darbyshire, 2010).

Summary

All levels of nursing depend on the public's understanding of how and why nurses are essential members of the

health care team

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Nurses need to get involved in the public and political places of power and educate families, neighborhoods, and community members about realistic nursing work.

Increased voice and visibility of nursing will positively impact nurse recruitment, nursing salaries, and nursing image.

Summary cont.

Concerns about the quality and safety of health care have changed practice expectations and created a mandate for change in the preparation of health care professionals.

Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) foundation created a better image of nursing profession and contributed significantly to better health care

QSEN

QSENs goal is to influence the education of all nurses, as all nursing clinicians need the skills and competencies around patient safety and quality improvement

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What is a nurse? To go above and beyond the call of duty. The first to work and the last to leave. The heart and soul of caring. A unique soul who will pass thru your life for a minute and impact it for an eternity. A empowered individual whom you may meet for only a 12 hour period, but who will put you and yours above theirs. - Anonymous

Benner, P., Sutphen, M., Leonard, V., & Day, L. (2010). Educating nurses:A call for radical transformation. Jossey- Bass: Carnegie Foundation forthe Advancement of Teaching.

Cabaniss, R. (2011). Educating nurses to impact change in nursing's image. Teaching and Learning in Nursing (2011) 6, 112118

Cohen, S., & Bartholomew, K. (2008). Our image, our choice: Perspectives

on shaping, empowering, and elevating the nursing profession.

Danvers, MA: HCPro, Inc.

Darbyshire, P. (2010). Heroines, hookers and harddians: Exploring popular

images and representations of nurses and nursing. In J. o. h. n. Darby

(Ed.), Contexts of nursing (pp. 3648). Australia: Elsevier.

Kalisch, G., & Kalisch, B. (1983). Improving the image of nursing.

American Journal of Nursing, 83(1), 4852.

Kalisch, P. A., & Kalisch, B. J. (1986). A comparative analysis of nurse and

physician characters in the entertainment media. Journal of Advanced

Nursing, 11, 179195.

References:

What is nursing? retrieved from: http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing

References cont.