The Portrayal Of Nurses In The Media

It is a common fact that nurses are not given the respect they deserve for the high level of knowledge they demonstrate to patients (Hoeve, Jansen & Roodbol, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to show how the negative portrayals of nurses in the media can result in a distorted image from the public. The components of this paper talk about the negative image of the nurse due to the lack of consistency in the media that the public is viewing, as well as the shortened staff and the public’s poor judgement on the profession.

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.

Media has an immense effect on societal views, and cultural norms. It is not surprising then, that media influences the public view of the nursing profession (McHugh, 2012). Negative portrayal of nursing in media is detrimental, these stereotypes undermine the profession which leads to less resources and a negative image of nursing among nursing students (Anonymous, 2010). For these reasons the image of nursing in media is something that needs to be explored, to understand how the nursing image in media affects both public and personal perception of the profession (Anonymous, 2010). Nurse Jackie is a controversial television show about an Emergency room nurse named Jackie (Hudis & Zisk, 2009). In this series Jackie is middle aged, married, mother of two, and while she is depicted as being loving with her family, she is having an affair with the pharmacist for her department. As a nurse Jackie is caring, and compassionate towards her patients, while also exhibiting unethical and inappropriate behaviours both within and outside of her working environment (Sorrell, 2009). Jackie is a complex character who exhibits both positive and negative nursing behaviours.

Prior to my nursing education, my perception of a registered nurse was that of a health care professional whose tasks include administering medications to sick patients on a timely fashion and making sure that the doctor’s orders are met. Without proper education on the different duties and responsibilities that encompass the role of a registered nurse, my impressions of the nursing profesison relied heavily on the various misconceptions that is often portrayed on television and other forms of media. Even after graduating from nursing school, I still have a difficult time in finding a clear definition to my role in nursing as it tend to incorporate various roles such as an educator, advocate, researcher and many others. I do not think of the nursing profession as a single entity, but rather a melting pot of assorted roles that simply overlap for the sole purpose of

“The nurse has a basic concern for people as human beings, confidence in the fundamental power of personality for good, respect for religious beliefs of others, and a philosophy which will sustain and inspire others as well as herself” (ANA, 1940; p. 980). The documentary “The American Nurse”, explores some of the biggest issues the United States faces today- aging, war, poverty, and prisons- through the lives of five very different nurses and their work as health care providers. The film examines real life people in their everyday lives as nurses which changes the way one looks at and thinks about the entire concept of nursing. Nursing is not merely a job, nor is it simply an occupation or a profession. To be a nurse, one must uphold the finest of standards and ethics, dedicating their entire lives to helping and serving others. Therefore, it cannot simply be a behavior; it is a lifestyle.

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.

Image. The media diverts the attention of the young adults who may be interested in nursing by focusing on the challenges that nurse’s face rather than the aspects of the career that are rewarding.

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).

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 Hoeve, Jansen, & Roodbol (2014), to improve the nursing public image and to obtain a stronger position in healthcare organizations, nurses need to increase their visibility. But individually, nurses needs to recognize the value in what we do, believed in ourselves and our colleagues, and dress the part. Each nurse needs to explore how his /her actions or inactions affect the nursing image. . We need to recognize that the images and behavior outside the workplace on social media such as YouTube, FaceBook or Instagram can affect our workplace image. How we portray ourselves in public to our patient can dispel any misconceptions the public may have of nurses and the profession by reeducating the community, educating nursing students on how to project a positive image of nursing, and helping students to understand the meaning of professionalism. Hoeve, Jansen, & Roodol (2014) also suggested that nurses should work harder to communicate both their professionalism and their contribution to the healthcare system to the public. Kalisch and Kalisch (1983) state that

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,

The American Nurse is a documentary filmed that premiered to a sold out crowd during the National Nurses Week in 2014. It is produced and directed by Carolyn Jones, a professional photographer who after suffering from breast cancer, goes out in search of nurses in the field and collect their experiences as they carry out their duties. While most of the people go to the theater for entertainment, this documentary gives a very different perspective for those who go to watch it (Jones & Frank, 2014). It is an educative segment that brings out the true meaning of its title, “The American Nurse; Healing America.”

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

The nursing profession is one of many portrayed by the media. In its simplest form media is how information is shared and stored. Media covers a wide range of services, advertisements, brochures, pamphlets, TV shows, films, novels, and magazines, digital, electronic, it goes on and on. Media is more accessible these days; the internet and wireless technology makes it easy for many people to access information on a wide scale. As information is shared by the media the public creates an image. This image may be right or it can be wrong, it all depends on the media’s accuracy. Nurses have been depicted in many forms over the years. These depictions can influence the public’s opinion of the profession as well as the likelihood that the profession will be considered for future students. Nurses need to take a more active role in how the profession is portrayed by the media, they need to work together to portray the profession in its best light in order to recruit and retain nurses.

Like any scientific discipline, the nursing profession has evolved over time. Nurses, once regarded as housemaids and lower class citizens, now hold positions of authority and stature in our modern society. These changes in the profession are attributed to the many nurse theorists who devoted their lives to the improvement of patient care. Through their theoretical advancements, the public perception of nursing has gone from dismissive to reverential. Today, our culture considers the nursing profession to be one of the most rewarding and respected career paths an individual can pursue. Through a review of one such patient theorist, Dorothea Orem, one can witness this change in the perception of the nursing profession. As a first semester student in a professional nursing course of study, Orem has already influenced my personal nursing philosophy.