According to Larsons (2016), Gallup poll showed that nursing was ranked the most trusted profession for the 14th year in a row. In 2016, 85% of Americans voted that nursing held a very high standard of honesty and ethical standards. A portion of the American population may view nurses as they are portrayed on television and in movies as this stereotype of being over-sexualized and a sex symbol. Another, stereotype is nursing is a profession only meant for women. With all these stereotypes and opinions out there the real question is what is the public’s view or image of the profession of nursing? The point of this paper is to explore different views on the profession of nursing the positive and the negative ones. Before discussing various public views, we most explore why a positive image of the profession of nursing is so crucial. The only reason why a positive image of the profession is so crucial is for our patients and their family members. When patients comes into the hospital nurses want to make them feel like they are in good hands. As nurses, we want any stereotype to be put aside and gain the patients trust, so that we can provide them with the best care …show more content…
The stereotype of nursing being a women’s profession is still very prominent making it difficult for men to see themselves in this profession. The media often portrays nurses as several different things that create a bad image such as, incompetent, caring little about their patients, or over-sexualized. Lastly, many still would like nurses to dress in the traditional white dress finding it easy to identify the nurse from other professions and finding the white dress to be professional. With representing ourselves in a professional way, knowing our value, and just continuing the support and great care we give our patients we can change the image of nursing and get rid of these
Presented issues such as lack of nursing opportunities for nursing graduates, lack of respect for the nursing profession and nurses being viewed as a threat by doctors continues to be of an existence today. As a nurse, I feel that it is of high importance to highlight these presented issues from the film not only because they were the most outstanding to me but because the nursing profession needs more
In-class discussions focused in on these various images of nursing and their damaging consequences. I have observed that I am not as assertive as I should be to dispute these negative images of nursing. I need to recognize when individuals make comments insinuating a negative portrayal of nurses. I will then proceed to educate these individuals on their uninformed views by demonstrating an understanding of my role as a nurse. This step will require knowledge and confidence; which I hope to acquire by the following strategies outlined in my knowledge confidence
During the mid-twentieth century American’s view of nurses was drastically changing according to Judd & Sitzman the authors of “A History of American Nursing: Trends and Eras.” Prior to this time period the job of a nurse was not something that was very valued. The women who chose this work were not looked upon as highly as they are today. Judd & Sitzman write that during this time “nurses were respected, revered, and deemed professionals; they were portrayed in recruitment posters.” Nursing was now a profession women could actually seek to do outside of the home that was not frowned upon. Nursing was now being viewed as a valued profession. The mere fact that there were recruitment posters being created and displayed proves this point.
Licensed practical nurses (LPN 's) fill an important role in modern health care practices. Their primary job duty is to provide routine care, observe patients’ health, assist doctors and registered nurses, and communicate instructions to patients regarding medication, home-based care, and preventative lifestyle changes (Hill). A Licensed Practical Nurse has various of roles that they have to manage on a day to day basis, such as being an advocate for their patients, an educator, being a counselor, a consultant, researcher, collaborator, and even a manager depending on what kind of work exactly that you do and where. It is the nursing process and critical thinking that separate the LPN from the unlicensed assistive personnel. Judgments are based
Angelou once said, “The people may forget the nurses name, but they will never forget how that nurse made them feel.” Nursing is a profession. Unfortunately, nursing does not always get the credit it deserves because of these stereotypes. Nursing is not a gay profession for males. Due to the shortage of nurses, our society needs more nurses now than never. Nurses make a difference in almost every person’s lives just not in hospital rooms but also in schools and clinics. Nursing in not easy job but somebody has to do it. There has to those individuals who must take on this challenge and be the difference in someone’s life. People could not care if someone considers them a failure for being a nurse and not a doctor. Most doctors could not do their job effectively without the help and assistance of nurses. The money is there for those who think nurses does not get paid that much. Healthcare is one of the biggest factors in our world, and for our world to progress further, an increase in employment for nursing is necessary. These stereotypes should not and will not stop the field of nursing from
When one imagines a female nurse in America, one may think of a smiling woman in pink scrubs helping a new mother care for her baby, a comforting hand to hold in a time of need, or even a soft voice counting, “One, two, three...” before administering an injection. Nursing is a profession that is dominated by women at ninety-two percent (US Department of Labor) and is accurately characterized by its commitment to the care for individuals and the promotion of healthy living. According to the American Nursing Association’s Code of Ethics, “The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.” Because of these professional and altruistic values, it is no surprise that the profession of nursing has received the highest ranking in Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics Poll for the eleventh year. Eighty-one percent of Americans claimed that nurses have “high” or “very high” ethical standards (Gallup). Clearly, the American public thinks quite highly of nurses, however, when is turns on the television, these well-respected individuals are portrayed on popular medical dramas as disposable sexual objects and as subordinate helpers. This unrealistic depiction of nurses is a reflection of the misogyny in American culture that presents itself through entertainment such as ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and Fox’s House.
The image of nursing is dynamic, changing from the late 1800’s to present, the images are made from individual’s perceptions by what is seen in the media, how education is taught in nursing and historical figures (Daly, Speedy, & Jackson, 2014). Historical figures mainly include Florence Nightingale and her, self-sacrifice and the nurses who transformed education (Fee & Garofalo, 2010, p. 1591; Allen, 2010, p. 35). Education has moved forward by the enhancing strategies of teaching student nurses to improve the image of nursing and gaining a tertiary education (ten Hoeve, Jansen, & Roodbol, 2014, p. 304). Media and film play a key role in the image of nursing (ten Hoeve, Jansen, & Roodbol, 2014, p. 298). Individual perceptions are developed from this medium to gain an image of what is expected of a nurse. These expectations that are developed result in many different public images and perceptions of the nurse as time goes on (ten Hoeve, Jansen, & Roodbol, 2014, p. 296).
Positive portrayal of men in nursing is important in order to break down stereotypes, improve recruitment rates, and to increase gender diversity in the nursing profession. By reinforcing stereotypes and misconceptions of men in nursing, the public undermines the contributions of male nurses. It is important to recognize the significance and contribution of the male nurse through positive and accurate messages displayed by the media, nursing organizations, and educational institutions. Through petitions by the public, statements by the nursing organizations, and creative marketing strategies geared toward men in nursing, the profession of nursing will improve recruitment rates along with an overall positive image of male nurses (Stanley, 2012).
There was seldom a mention of male and male students choosing to become nurses. Along with the belief of nursing being a career choice more female-directed, there was also the repeated mention of the career being for middle-class women (Price, 2008). Historically, women have been the dominant face of nursing and it has always been considered a suitable career for women, whereas most careers in the past would never be acceptable for a female. For some of the female students who were interviewed, this stereotype was part of a deferent to choosing nursing. They did not want to be thought of as a stereotypical women, and be casted into a mould of what most women choose (Price, Hall, Angus, & Peter, 2013). In a modern society, more and more women are wishing to push the boundaries on what use to be referred to as a male dominated territory. This is true in careers as well. Many females second guess their decision in choosing nursing due to
Each individual gets to a point in life whereby they assess their internal qualities, people reflect their profession aspirations and attempt to see which careers will make them happy in their lives. It is also important for a person to consider whether they have the qualities needed for a particular profession and also consider the available resources that will help him or her reach their set goals (Chafey, Rhea, Shannon, & Spencer, (1998). Every human being has weaknesses and strengths in their personal or professional aspirations. Having strength means that someone has the physical and mental power to perform things in a successful manner. On the other hand, weaknesses are the drawbacks, the inadequate lack of strength or power to accomplish important goals in life, and every human has some potential of being a leader in some way (American Association of Critical Care Nurses (2006). This paper will discuss the outcome results inventory on the nurse as a manager, it illustrates personal strength and weaknesses in relation to personal life and professional aspirations. The paper will also discuss planning for career, disciplines in personal expedition, practice
Image and profession go hand in hand. Image plays a very important yet controversial role in the nursing profession. The image of nursing is often inaccurate and falls short of the fair and correct portrayal of what the role of nursing truly is (Summers, 2010). With an inaccurate portrayal of what nursing really is comes the challenges of the profession. Popular stereotypes in nursing coming from both the past and today media and expectations take away the true meaning and role of the modern profession. Some common stereotypes include but are not limited to: unskilled, a way to marriage, and a physician’s helpmate. These stereotypes lead to many problems within the nursing profession including poor working conditions, insufficient support
According to the American Nurses Association, nursing is defined as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations” (American Nurses Association, 2016). Nurses have many jobs and responsibilities and wear many different hats. Nurses can perform at many different levels depending on their scope of practice which is defined by the board of nursing in one’s state of residence. It is important as nurses to understand and follow
Among twenty leading female-dominated professions, registered nurses (RN’s) are the second most occupation that employed women in 2006¬. Similar to many traditionally female professions, the percentage of male in nursing is small. In fact, male nurses only comprised eight percent of RN’s in 2008. Although much effort has been made to recruit more men into nursing, many contributing factors have driven them away from this profession. Those factors include poor nursing image, negative public perception, low economic status, and gender stereotypes. One of the most significant factors that deter men from entering the profession is stereotypes. Research shows that men might be more likely to encounter stereotypes than discrimination; however, gender discrimination throughout the society still exists, which may discourage them from entering the profession. Gender segregation has separated male nurses into the minority group that faces many obstacles within the profession, in which negative stereotypes are the primary obstacle for men who want to enter the nursing force.
The career i chose is a branch of the medical field. I chose a career in nursing, more specifically the career path of a registered nurse. This career consists of providing care for people of all ages and helping them with managing their conditions. I chose this career because my mother is an rn and my family has a strong presence in the medical field. It is important to understand the education or training requirements, skills, or talents needed, salary, benefits offered, and the duties for a particular career when making this decision.
Although nursing was a profession started by men, as of 2011, men occupied only nine percent of the profession (Census Bureau, 2011). Today, when you picture a “typical” nurse you think of a female. As Evans (2016) states, “Almost never does the word nurse conjure up the image of a man” (p.4). This woman-dominated field has created a profession that has many gender stereotypes associated with it (Daley, 2013). These stereotypes, created by the media, are making men reluctant to join this profession. With that being said, stereotyping contributes to the low number of men entering the workforce which, in turn, affects patient safety.