A Look At The Word ' Nurse '

In order to achieve success while writing the term paper, multiple scholarly pieces were used. The databases that obtained these consisted of: ProQuest, CINAHL, Medline, and Ovid. The limits that were selected were: 1) English, 2) Peer reviewed, 3) Published between 2011-2015, 4) Scholarly journals, 5) Full text. By selecting these options I was able to attain accurate and relevant journals necessary. The search terms were nursing, negative, image, and media. Multiple articles appeared but only three were chosen to describe how nurses are stereotyped in the media and negatively portrayed to the public.

Essentially, the term abuse is an issue facing the nursing profession today. Many unreported cases of encountered verbal and physical abuse have been found to be ample in acute and complex care settings. These cases are amongst professional individuals (nurse-nurse and nurse-physician abuse) and also among the patient abusing the nurses. Effectively, abuse is not only a Canadian issue. It has been reported internationally as well. Thus, many nurses today are lobbying for the decrease of abuse within health care settings in order to ameliorate the working conditions. Nursing abuse may lead to other issues which will be discussed in this study. This paper will address the nurse-nurse, nurse-physician and nurse-patient abuse. In addition,

The ‘zone of helpfulness’ describes the centre of a continuum of professional behaviour. This zone is where the majority of interactions between a nurse and a person in their care should occur for effectiveness and the safety of that person. ‘Over involvement’ of a nurse with a person in their care is to the right side of the continuum; this includes boundary crossings, boundary violations and sexual assault and inappropriate relationships with the

Initial Responses to the incident I was surprised that there was no record of the incident and that event had not been handed over to the multidisciplinary team members who had come on shift. I thought that the nurse had not considered the incident to be a serious incident. Furthermore sexual activity, including sexual assault and harassment, does occur in psychiatric facilities and is an issue of concern (Videbeck, 2008). In this situation I felt uncomfortable when I heard the allegations however my thoughts were that it is an important issue which should not be ignored.

Nurses prefer working in an environment where they feel appreciated in both their actions and decisions. In the event that they are ignored, they tend to experience subjection and they are likely to resist. At one time, our healthcare facility sought to implement the bedside shift reporting (BSR). This process would have required that nurses be informed and trained on the use of the documentation. However, this did not happen, on the start of the month each nurse received a formal letter form the chief nursing officer informing us that we would be reporting to a newly hired nurse educator who would evaluate our performance in implementing the BSR. This was met with anger and most of the nurses seemed to have decided that they would not accomplish

Nursing as a profession is often portrayed by the media in demeaning ways. “Nurses have often been unfairly and unrealistically portrayed as “battle axes” or psychologically compromised. And that’s if they are written into the script at all.” (Berkowitz, 2014). “They are often portrayed as physician helpers, not the highly skilled independent clinicians that we know they are.” (Berkowitz, 2014).

A basic part of modern age humanity is dignity. It is self-imposed pride that is susceptible to damage through the verbal and physical actions of others. Hospital and clinical settings can leave a client’s dignity vulnerable. It is where people, now clients, are weak and in some cases unable to function like they once did. This can wound their dignity, but it is the duty of nurses to preserve it. Through respect, support, and by relieving pain and suffering, nurses work to preserve the dignity of their clients. Likewise, nurses are able to easily damage the dignity and integrity of their clients through inappropriate behaviour, a lack of respect, and being irresponsible while on the job. A passage published by a hearing tribunal from the College

In any field of work there is a code of conduct. If you choose to stray away from the rules it can lead to disciplinary action; denial, suspension, or even revocation of a license. A thing we are seeing a lot of any more is sexual misconduct in the work place. Nurse-patient relationship is founded on mutual trust. Sexual misconduct in the practice of nursing means violation of the nurse-patient relationship through which the nurse uses said relationship to induce or attempt to induce the patient to engage, or to engage or attempt to engage the patient, in sexual activity outside the scope of the practice or the scope of generally accepted examination or treatment of the patient. Sexual misconduct in the practice of nursing is prohibited. The following acts constitute grounds for denial of a license or disciplinary action, as specified in s. 456.072(2):
Making or filing false reports or records; false, misleading, or deceptive advertising; unprofessional conduct; Engaging or attempting to engage in the possession sale or distribution of controlled substances set forth in chapter 893; Being irresponsible and unable to practice without reasonable skill and safety to patients due to illness or use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, or chemicals, or any other type of material as a result of any mental or physical condition. Failing to report to the department anyone who the

The professional relationship between doctors and nurses, has often been influenced by power, social status and gender making effective collaboration difficult to achieve. Historically, nursing was regarded as an inferior, arduous occupation, practiced by morally questionable women. McKay and Narasimhan

Nurses have a professional responsibility to ensure that safe boundaries are kept in the relationship between patient and Nurse. It is these boundaries that provide the nursing profession with integrity, and according to Baca (2010, pp.195) it is essential these boundaries be maintained because of the difference in power between the nurse and patient. However, boundary violations can occur, when a nurse crosses from the zone of helpfulness to over involved, the ANMC (2011 pp.3) believes that when a violation occurs a nurse is behaving unprofessional manner and misusing their power in the patient nurse relationship. This misuse of power can be categorized into 3 types; boundary crossing, boundary violation and the extreme form of sexual misconduct. Often by mistake a nurse could cross the boundary without thought, a

Negative and unflattering stereotypes about nurses such as the sexy nurse, the physician’s handmaiden, glamorous hair, short skirt, and heavy makeup only damage the profession and drive candidates male or female away from the profession. Who wants to be part of a profession,

Nurses continually strive to bring holistic, efficient, and safe care to their patients. However, if the safety and well-being of the nurses are threatened or compromised, it is difficult for nurses to work effectively and efficiently. Therefore, the position of the American Nurses Association (ANA) advocate that every nursing professional have the right to work in a healthy work environment free of abusive behavior such as bullying, hostility, lateral abuse and violence, sexual harassment, intimidation, abuse of authority and position and reprisal for speaking out against abuses (American Nurses Association, 2012).

Sexual harassment is discrimination that involves any uninvited comments, exploits, or behavior regarding sex, gender, or sexual orientation. If any type of violation is made by a co-worker, a boss, a work acquaintance, or even a non-employee such as a client, vendor, or contractor, this will be considered unlawful sexual harassment within the work environment. Sexual harassment can create a hostile and uneasy work environment. Sexual harassment includes inappropriate verbal advances, unwelcomed physical behavior that creates an aggressive, hostile, intimidating or malicious work environment for employees. Sexual harassment includes sending suggestive e-mails, notes, and

Nurses have a professional responsibility to ensure that safe boundaries are understood and maintained in a patient/nurse relationship. Nurses should be knowledgeable regarding professional boundaries and continued education assists them to achieve this. It is these boundaries that provide the nursing profession with integrity, and according to Baca (2010, pp.195) it is essential these boundaries be maintained because of the difference in power between the nurse and patient. However, boundary violations can occur, when a nurse crosses from the zone of helpfulness to over involved, the ANMC (2011 pp.3) believes that when a violation occurs a nurse is behaving in an unprofessional manner and misusing their power in the patient nurse relationship. This misuse of power can be categorized into 3 types; boundary crossing, boundary violation and the extreme form, of sexual misconduct. Often a nurse could cross the boundary without thought, a violation is a more serious matter when according to the ANMC (2011 pp. 5) the nurse puts his or her own needs in front of the

The term sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcomed sexual advances or conduct on the job that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment . The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that sexual harassment is a violation of the law.