Nurse Image

Many things influence one’s personal perceptions of the great profession called nursing. According to the American Nurses Association, nursing is defined as “protection, promotion, and abilities, prevention of illness and injury,

This essay focuses on the impact of historical development of nursing on contemporary representations of the nursing profession. It examines the professional identity of nursing and further discusses the contribution of modern nursing, social, cultural and political factors that influences the professional identity of a nurse. The essay also looks into the professional regulations and the role of the nurse’s and midwifery Council (NMC) in the protection of the public. Finally, this essay will discuss nursing education, the media, stereotype, and their impacts on nurses as well as demonstrate my understanding as a student nurse to challenge the professional identity of nurses.

Above all nurses play an important role in the recovery of their patients. The actions and decisions of a nurse are manifestations of the true character that a nurse holds. (Lachman, 2008) Those who become nurses are not only expected to adhere to the norms of the profession but rather to

For this paper, there are 2 interviews required that are related to the nursing careers. The two interviews that were conducted were from a Charge Nurse, and from a Head Nurse. Each of the interviews are discussed in detail below, separately.

“Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.” There was a girl who had always wanted to become one of importance, education, and also a contributor in her community. She feels that this occupation will assist her in living comfortably, providing for her family, and will be something she will enjoy doing. The career of a Registered Nurse is a challenging and important career, because of the importance one holds within a community. The research will describe the career of a Registered Nurse, what is required to become a successful, and the impact this career has on society.

When people think about nurses, many ideas come to mind. They think of the hideous old starched, white uniforms, a doctor’s handmaiden, the sexy or naughty nurse, or a torturer. The media and society have manipulated the identity and role of nurses. None of these ideas truly portray nurses and what they do. Nurses are with the patients more than the doctors. People do not realize how little they will encounter the doctor in the hospital until they are actually in the hospital. People quickly realize how important nurses are. Because nurses interact with their patients constantly, nurses are the ones who know the patients best.

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).

Transforming education is included in the second key message of IOM report. Nurses require top levels of education and training to function in ever more multifaceted health care structure. So it is vital for the nurses to advance the education and training without difficulties. Chances to improve education from Licensed Practice Nursing or Associate Degree in Nursing to Baccalaureate science in Nursing and then to advanced degrees must be accessible and available. Besides clinical skills, health policy, evidence based practice and research, quality improvement teamwork and leadership should be added in the competencies while developing educational programs. Program of study should be modified to make sure that the nurses are prepared their best to perform their tasks. In addition to that there should be opportunities available for cross training to improve teamwork and collaboration, to ensure patient safety ("ISNA Bulletin," 2011, p. 11).

This essay will focus on how historical developments of nursing impact on contemporary representations of the nursing profession. It will examine professional identity of the profession and further discusses the value of modern nursing, social, cultural and political factors that influence the professional identity of the nurse. I will also discuss the professional regulation and the role of the nurse’s midwifery Council (NMC) in the protection of the public. Finally, this essay will discuss nursing education, the media, stereotype, and their impacts on nurses as well as demonstrate my understanding as a student nurse to challenge the professional identity of nurses.

According to the American Nurses Association, “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” (ANA, 2010b). Nursing has come a long ways. From primitive times when caring for the sick was predominantly the rule of medicine-men who acquired the skills from their ancestors, to the era when it was viewed as a mean profession for prostitutes and nowadays when it is considered a noble profession with trained and skilled personnel.

With over three million nurses in the United States nurses play an important role in healthcare today. As the future of health care changes the nurses’ role will change as well. In 2008, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) combined partnership and put together a committee to assess nursing practices and make recommendations for the future transformations in the health care system. This report was released in 2010 and included four key components in which three will be discussed in this paper.

Before I entered this program, I assumed that a nurse was a person who would simply listen to the doctors and act according to their demanding orders without any judgmental and critical reflections. I once thought a nurse used to be a person who could not have the power to complete the medical school, who could only accept the unreasonable reprimands from other higher health care team members, and who would spend his/her time, money, and efforts to receive the insufficient reciprocal compensation. This was the thought of a boy who lived a in country of words and pictures that have its frame but not its soul, Vietnam; however, things in that country are getting better. What is a nurse to me? A nurse can be described as carative, a term that

Throughout time the world’s image on Nursing has evolved rapidly. Nurses work in an extremely stressful environment and must carry out their duties in a professional manner to ensure proper procedures are followed throughout their routines. They also have a considerable amount of responsibility that comes with their career. For those reasons nurses must present themselves in a professional and structured manner at all times. The Image of Nursing describes how people in and out of the profession see nurses. Nurses must protect and continuously improve their image by fully applying themselves to their profession every day. Nurses complete rigorous course studies to obtain the ability to manage themselves and lead others towards a common

Nursing is one of the most popular professions in healthcare. To become a professional nurse, one must acquire certain level of education, whether it is at associate or baccalaureate degree level. Once becoming a nurse a number of professional standards must be maintained to stay abreast with the profession. In that respect, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its 2010 report had suggested many recommendations focusing on the future of nursing. The aim of the report is to put forth recommendations that allow nurses to “(1) ensure that nurses can practice to the full extent of their education and training (2) improve nursing education, (3) provide opportunities for nurses to assume leadership positions and to serve as full

There is no doubt that the health care system is constantly changing and working to improve its flaws, to the best of its ability. Whether nurses like it or not we are a part of the ever changing health care system. “With more than 3 million members, the nursing profession is the largest segment of the nation’s health care workforce” (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2010, p. 1). The Institute of Medicine believes that nurses should be active in transforming the profession of nursing, along with the health care system. Regardless, of backgrounds, race, and age all nurses can contribute to the future of the nursing profession. The following paper will discuss the Institute of Medicine’s nursing expectations and recommendations, as well as the opportunity to becoming a clinical nurse instructor.