Abstract Despite the vast research on nursing profession, little is known about the depth of the responsibilities of nurses to the public. The majority of the society seems to still perceive nurses as “the one who wipes butt” or “the pillow fluffer”. They have very little understanding of what nurses really do and to how far nursing field have gone. The overall image of the nurses that emerges from the society is negative and we must fix that. With the research articles provided, these will give us an insight on how we can change that perception. Tracy Hart presented us thoughts on how we can carry out that change while Carol R. Myers gave us an in depth explanation on why it is important to take charge and be united as professionals. …show more content…
I feel that I have to be physically, emotionally, and mentally ready to take on the responsibility of being an RN. With the help of my supportive family and friends, returning to school to further my education was never an issue. An article written by Traci Hart expresses her outlook on nursing as a profession. She views nursing not just a vocation, avocation, and passion but also as a profession. She believes that nursing as a profession goes beyond credentials, it is the effect it has on people’s lives no matter how small it is that gives nursing the true value of its profession. Hart (2011) encourages nurses to take pride of their craft, to embrace, and to believe in their chosen profession because it is how we perceived ourselves that will reflect on others. She believes that we must portray positive image at all times because we are not just nurses, we are professionals. Reading her article shows how significant it is to demonstrate to the society that the nursing field is constantly evolving for the better and that the legacy of the nursing profession continuous on. For Hart (2011), the part of the nursing legacy is to pass on the collective experience and information to the future nurses in order to advance nursing as a profession. Hart (2011) explained that since the definition of a profession is having specialized knowledge, training and education, which nurses have, it is therefore by
The nursing profession has shifted away from caring for the ill and has focused its attention on health promotion. The nursing profession has disassociated from such notions as the “handmaiden” persona to a profession that can stand apart. The implications of this shift on the healthcare profession, and the patient itself was evaluated. This shift occurred when nurses attempted to define, legitimatize, and increase the social standing of nurses. Many nursing organizations have defined the competencies of nursing to centre around education, research, and policy, however they have failed to mention the patient or their illness. This article gives an enlightened view of the nursing profession and provides a further understanding of the history
Nursing has emerged throughout history from being task oriented to what it is today, where education and research lay the foundation of our profession. There has been ongoing controversy on whether nursing is in fact a profession or an occupation, even among nursing organizations. Lucie Kelly has spent most of her career exploring the dimensions of professional nursing. She is a registered nurse (RN) herself and also is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and a member of the Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). The eight characteristics that she uses to describe professionalism are what I believe nursing to be. Kelly’s model
A professional is characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2) : exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace. Being professional should be a subconscious effort in the fact that it should always be applied. When employees are professional it helps the system run more efficiently and safely. A person must me a certain criteria when being evaluated on professionalism, a person is judged based on the clients; Attitude, Values, Communication techniques, and approachability. Clients who display a committed, dependable attitude will benefit more from work exerted, and overall be rewarded with incentives. Although professionalism may be in the eye of the
Many things influence the image of nursing; one's own personal experiences, what nurses say, and what television and movies portray nurses as. This image has changed a lot over the years, but there are some things that have continued to affect the image that is not correct; for instance that nurses are the “Physician's assistant” or wait on orders of higher-ups. Some questions that are going to be answered about this image include: how the image has changed, who is defining the image, and how can this image be changed.
In both Cohen’s (2007) & Hoeve et al. (2003) articles reviewing the image of nursing and public perception, both articles expand on the wide range of perspectives on nursing made by the general public. Oftentimes nurses are not recognized for their professionalism instead stereotyped, sexualized, and devalued to “the doctor’s handmaiden” or a “sexy nurse”. Due to these biases and stereotypes, nurses must work even harder to prove that they are indeed a
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.
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, like healthcare in general, is in a state of change. The profession of nursing is
Nursing has evolved over the years and it took many years for a nurse to be recognized as a profession. Since 1991, nursing is considered to be the most trusted professions in the United States. According to the American Nurses Association, "For the past 100 years, the public has voted nurses as the most honest and ethical profession in America." Not only has nursing become a trusted career, but the values and the way nurses care for their patients has helped people see them as family. The career of nursing allows individuals the opportunity to find meaning in life by allowing them to devote their time to help others find their healing in a holistic manner. Finding dignity in nursing will allow me to give myself the self-worth that I believe is essential to my life. By finding dignity in nursing I will fully understand the values that nursing brings towards my life. I will also find my self-worth by caring for others and finally incorporate nursing as my calling.
Traditionally, nursing has not been accorded the professional respect that it entails and calls for and hence the different perceptions that were there in the field. It was also a profession that was mostly biased regarding gender and the level of education of those seeking to join the industry (Alligood & Tomey, 2010). However, today, there are many changes which challenge the manner in which the profession is handled either by the professionals themselves or even how leaders in other medical fields perceive the career.
Your presentation of the history of nursing and its challenges to a statement of knowledge motivated me to consider the face of the future of nursing knowledge. The reality is that the future very much resembles the past. Change has been a central component of this profession. There is no sitting on laurels, knowledge completion or a sense of status quo. Can any profession stake that claim? The professional world of most disciplines exists within a fluid environment. Neal-Boylen (2014) states that there is a perception that exists today that nurses work longer and harder than ever before. She takes issue with this claim stating that while nurses of long ago had different job descriptions, their responsibilities and knowledge needs were just as burdensome as today (Neal-Boylen, 2014).
Nursing was not always seen as a profession, therefore it is important to explore what a profession is and its historical context related to nursing. Turkoski (1995) states that profession is a social construct that was determined by a male worldview; only men were
In my opinion, the nursing profession is a vocation that deserves great respect and value because the competencies and knowledge nurses possess is invaluable. However, after reading about the public’s image of nurses I was quite surprised that nurses aren’t always regarded as esteemed individuals.
Healthcare need is increasing and changing rapidly and nursing practices today may be different in the future. Nurse leaders and government officials find nursing shortage critical. It is considered both a supply and demand shortage. It is important for nurse leaders and government agencies to ensure that nursing care is in place through education. Knowledge and skill in nursing care actively support career development increases nurses’ sense of being valued, recognized and supported for contributions they bring to the organization. Experts suggests a need to improve the image of nursing specially in regions where religious and cultural beliefs dictate the career choices of its citizens. Employers work with mass media to show the
In today’s society nursing has had to face several challenges in its pursuit in becoming a recognised profession. Nursing has gone through many stages of attached stigma, changing as technology and society evolved as a whole. Going from a low social class responsibility in the 19th century, to becoming a well-respected profession that it has become today, public perception, the way in which society views, has changed greatly in the last two hundred years. Along with these changes has come a large change in technology which is causing the responsibility of nurses to change as well as now individual actions are tainting the image of the nursing profession. This is due to the technological evolution with mass communication drawing attention