Preview

Positive Image of Nursing

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1371 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Positive Image of Nursing
Throughout the years there has been a common misinterpretation about the image of nursing. At most times this image is negative and represents the profession in an unconstructive manner. Nurses have the potential to change this image. They can take initiative in many different areas of social involvement. One area that can influence the roles and representations nurses have in society is continuing education or advanced degrees. A second area is social impression which can be influenced by the demonstration of professionalism. The last area nurses can positively affect to improve the professions image, is through public relations and education. Through these areas of social involvement nurses can make a difference by being proactive and presenting a more positive portrayal of nursing.

In order for a nurse to obtain higher education there has to be initiative and desire. This includes a want to increase self knowledge and perseverance. Nurses who are continuing and achieving higher education can raise the bar in demonstrating professionalism. In many two year associate programs throughout the country, professionalism is never taught or concentrated on because of dense course material compacted into two years. In these programs students are taught to be proficient at performing skills, not managing conflict on units or conducting research. To better prepare nursing students for career advancement, associate degree of nursing programs (ADN) can benefit by implementing professionalism throughout their curriculum. This would potentially increase the number of students in Bachelors of Science degrees in Nursing (BSN) and at least clarify advantages and disadvantages to higher education. If Nurses from ADN programs were to pursue higher education it would ultimately improve the image of nursing. These nurses would be better trained professionals and present themselves with prestige. Communication with coworkers and patients would be improved and burnout rates



References: American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) Balkstra, C. (2009). President 's message. Let 's move forward with a positive image of nursing. Buresh, B. & Gordon, S. (2006) From Silence to Voice: What nurses know and must communicate to the public Professional. 2010. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved May 7, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/medlineplus/professional Spear, H. (2005). Mail box. Let 's stand up and promote a positive image of nursing. RN, 68(6), 12. Summers, S. (2003). Outliers: asides & insides. Group crusades against how TV shows portray nurses ' role

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Potter, P. S. (2012). Fundamentals of Nursing. St. Louis: Mosby an imprint by Elsevier Inc…

    • 1181 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Horning, J. J., (2011), the future of Nursing: A blueprint for improving Health and Health care for all Americans, retrieved from…

    • 1606 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The American Nursing Association in 1965, through their position paper, attempted to make known the dire need to revamp the manner in which nurses enter the profession. Understanding the basis of their position provides insight to their purpose in outlining nursing as a profession, the description of various roles and educational requirements. “[E]nsuring high-quality nursing care…by fostering high standards of nursing practice” was the primary goal of the ANA with special “concern in education and welfare of those practicing the profession” (Catalano, 2012, p. 90). The scribed ideas of the American Nursing Association in 1965 maintain a profound impact on today’s direction and expectation of nurses.…

    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    This paper will be exploring the impact of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report: The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health released on October 05, 2010. In 2008, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the IOM launched a two-year initiative to respond to the need to assess and transform the nursing profession. The IOM appointed a committee with the purpose of, “producing a report that would make recommendations for an action-oriented blueprint for the future of nursing.” This paper will explore the impact of this report on nursing education, nursing practice, and the nurses’ role as a leader.…

    • 1015 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Bernice Buresh and Suzanne Gordon are renowned journalists, lecturers, and authors. The book details how the two women became involved with nursing advocacy in 1989 through a project sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trust. The program sought to investigate public perception of nursing and to cultivate a positive nursing image with the use of the news media. Buresh & Gordon found that despite nursing being the largest healthcare profession, they are also grossly underrepresented and misunderstood (Buresh & Gordon, 2006). Their pivotal co-authored book, From Silence to Voice: What Nurses Know and Must Communicate to the Public, explains the lack of public representation concerning professional presence. The book further outlines how to make nursing’s voice heard through effective communication.…

    • 1678 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    337). Some of the reasons cited in her paper for the decline in care include: increased patient load, decreased time for direct patient care, increased pressure to accomplish more with less time, and mandatory overtime. For these reasons, nurses reported feeling overburdened, overworked and overstressed and dissatisfied with their jobs. In addition to the general dissatisfaction with the profession, negative stereotypes of nurses such as the “physician’s handmaiden” continue to dominate the public perception of the nursing profession, harming the efforts to recruit new talent into the profession (Goodin, 2003). In order to recruit new nurses, Goodin recommends programs that will expose young people to positive and authentic images of nursing. She uses the coalition of thirty-two nursing and health care organizations who are working together on the campaign, ‘Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow,’ and Johnson & Johnson’s ‘Campaign for Nursing’s Future’ as good examples of programs that provide this positive “real-life goodness of nursing” messages necessary to accomplish the task. Goodin posits that increasing the value in the eyes of consumers will lead to nursing as a more respected profession in society as a whole and an increase in new nurses entering the workforce as a…

    • 4964 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the topics discussed in this report is the future of nursing education. The changes being made to our country’s healthcare system must include changes in nursing education prior to licensing and post license practicing nurses. With this change comes the need for a larger amount of nurses entering the workforce to have a bachelor’s degree or obtain it very early in the career. This report states that nurses must be adequately trained to care for a diverse population and to provide all patients safe and quality care and to perform as a leader. Nurses also must be prepared to care for patients in different care settings, such as, community and public health settings. The baccalaureate nurse receives this education whereas an associate’s degree nurse does not. Nurses should continue to educate themselves throughout the career with physicians and other healthcare professionals. A better educated nurse leads to better education for the patient thus possibly keeping them from an…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Future of nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (2010) is a report issued by the Instituted of Medicine, which “calls on nurses to take a greater role in America’s increasingly complex health care system” (American Nurses Association [ANA], n.d., para. 1). It gives an in-depth look into the future of the profession, while addressing four key messages, the first three of which are directly related to the nursing practice, education, and leadership.…

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nursing is complex, and within the profession there are many spectrums of career possibilities. Nursing is based on a foundation of caring and what draws many to the profession is a commitment of service. The knowledge and education sought to prepare nurses however differs between the two “entry” level paths of associate degreed nurses and baccalaureate degree nurses and thus forms a difference in the way they perform their professional practice.…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The media, and Hollywood in particular, is one avenue in which the public becomes familiar with the role of nurses. The media often times negatively influences the public image of nursing by broadcasting news coverage of nurses that have made mistakes on the job. Unfortunately, on occasion those mistakes have lead to detrimental consequences for patients. There is also fictional portrayals of nurses, for instance HBO show Nurse Jackie, that is about a drug addicted nurse who steals drugs from the facility she works. It is rare to see coverage of hard working proficient nurses who perform their jobs treating patients and assisting physicians. If the media were to show coverage of hard working capable nurses, which would include the vast majority of practicing nurses, it would have a more positive influence on the public’s opinion of nurses. The public needs to be educated on the role and scope of nursing as well as the changing healthcare system. There has been little done to inform the public on nurses role and responsibilities which include critical thinking, decision making and skillful management of risk, instead focus has been on the emotional aspect of nursing (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). One option to inform the public on nurses role might be educational seminars sponsored by health insurance companies or nonprofit organizations.…

    • 301 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The literature on transforming education is clear. In order to maintain pace with the rapidly changing healthcare technology the IOM recognizes that nurses are poised to become an even larger integral part of the solution, however the fundamental focus of nursing education needs to shift from evolving around acute care and placed on community-based care. As the American population ages the need for complex chronic care increases, the IOM reports in order to continue to deliver high-quality care for this populace, nursing education should be advancing the numbers of BSN level nurses and including competencies that incorporate the entire community- setting aspect of care. The impact of the report has lead to an increased number of institutions designed to facilitate curriculum for a seamless transition from ADN to BSN degrees with an emphasis placed on a more highly educated nurse work-force.…

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Numerous strategies are outlined in depth, and written in a clear, concise manner enabling full reader comprehension. Hinshaw encourages her audience to face the factors involved in this current nursing crisis, and for nursing professionals to consider the possible strategies they can participate in, and assist in implementing for this decade. It is important to inform the public of the issues that essentially effect everyone. Furthermore, educating the public, provides them with the information needed to make informed decisions when voting, and supporting certain health care…

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    From Silence to Voice

    • 1689 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The definition of a profession is “a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation” (Webster Dictionary, 2008). By definition, I would consider nursing to be a profession, without a doubt. Nurses have spent too much time and effort in academic settings not to use the word profession. Nurses are taught and academically prepared by leaders in the nursing field who have the specialized knowledge that will specifically train nurses to meet the challenges of the profession. Nursing theorists, who are experts in nursing, have contributed great amounts of work to promoting nursing as a profession. According to Alligood and Tomey, “Nursing theory has been a prevalent theme in the nursing literature for the past 35 years and has stimulated phenomenal growth in the nursing profession” (Alligood & Tomey, 2006, p.3). I see the profession of nursing as something special, something different than just a job. I think most nurses feel that they have been “called” in some way to the profession.…

    • 1689 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Chitty, K., & Black, B. P. (2007). Professional Nursing: Concepts & Challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders.…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Future of Nursing

    • 1301 Words
    • 6 Pages

    According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the nursing profession is the largest population in the nation 's health care workforce with over three million members. Because of this, nurses have a fundamental role in the transformation of the nation 's rapidly changing health care environment. To achieve this role, the IOM addressed several key recommendations to serve as a guide to the direction of the future of nursing (Institute of Medicine, 2010). This paper will focus on three areas that the IOM considers as obstacles the nursing profession encounter as they tackle the challenges of the changing health care system and how it will impact the future of nursing. These three areas are: Nursing Education, Nursing Practice, and Nursing Leadership.…

    • 1301 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays