Image and voice nursing free essay sample

One of the most diverse and powerful profession is nursing. Although it is a powerful profession the image of nursing does not reflect this. The importance of nursing is shaped by the images people see as patients, family members, members of a community and in the media. Over time there have been many images of nursing from angels to sexual cartoons. There have been many nurses who have had a voice and portrayed nursing in a positive light. Leaders and educators within the nursing profession must be the voice of the nursing profession to empower nurses to engage journalist, media, and the public in the profession of nursing. Historical Image of Nursing Throughout the years there have been many nurses that have imprinted a positive image of nurses such as Clara Barton, Walt Whitman, and Dorothea Dix. One of the most iconic images of nurses is Florence Nightingale who is still perceived as the leader of research and promoting the nursing profession. We will write a custom essay sample on Image and voice nursing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Florence Nightingale was a voice for nursing by changing perceptions of nursing through her efforts to reform the British military health care system, education, and research, especially in hygiene and reduction of death rates due to infections. It was her work during the Crimean War that started the tales of the â€Å"Lady with the Lamp† (Small, 2000). She had over 200 publications, with her most famous and well known book Notes on Nursing which served as the curriculum at the Nightingale school of nursing and eventually other schools. Throughout her career she continued promoting the need to improving patient care by utilizing the press (Monteiro, 1985). Upon her death she had become one of the most influential women of the 19th century. Her lantern represents the positive light of the nursing profession. Nursing Portrayal in the Media Television is one of the most popular news mediums in America today. The portrayal and images of nursing on television have for the most part been fictional and distorted. Negative stereotypes such as, overbearing, sexual, and incompetence make up most of the television shows and sitcoms. One television show that portrayed such an image was the series MASH, with one main character named Hot Lips Houlihan. Hot Lips was a loud, red-lipstick wearing nurse with large breasts, and was depicted as a sex object more than a nurse. Cartoons and print images have also taken part in the misrepresentation of the nursing profession such as the cartoon character Betty Boop as a nurse, and the popular naughty nurse outfits. These images stereotype nurses in a negative way, and are not reflective of the true value nurses provide to their patients and the community. Nursing is frequently seen as emotional work, assistants to physicians and not focusing on the contributions to research for improving patient care and the everyday clinical challenges they face. The information provided to the media is invaluable in making the nursing profession visible. When communicating with the media, nurses must be credible, enthusiastic and display a professional appearance (Buresh Gordon,2006). As the image of nursing has changed over the years so has the nurses’ appearance. Uniform companies have played a big role in how nurses dress today, with the inundation of uniform catalogs and hundreds of pages of cartoon character scrubs such as, Betty Boop, Snoopy, and an array of animal characters. Why do nurses not want to earn the respect so well deserved? If we were to look at other professions such as firefighters and police officers they have a strict dress code and would not think to throw on a tee shirt with goofy imprinted all over themselves while out on patrol or fighting a fire. What has happened to the official white uniform that represented nurses? Nurses are severely under-represented in print media, including in the area of health care coverage. Organizational public relations and marketing departments are very often focused on presenting highly trained physicians and â€Å"caring† nurses. It is up to nurse leaders and executives to educate journalists about development in nursing (Buresh Gordon, 2006). The internet is emerging to be the single most information medium out today, reaching more than 2 billion people worldwide. One way to utilize the internet is by blogging, which allows nurses to educate, connect and express themselves with others. Another way to utilize the internet is through a professional web site known as LinkedIn which allows a user to create a professional profile to include education, career history, recommendations and professional connections. This is a wonderful way for nurses to network and connect with each other to share ideas and help promote the profession. With the technology available today, nurses not only have an increased opportunity, but an increased duty to share their knowledge and expertise with the public through television, radio, internet, and print. Leadership and staff impact Public perception of what nurses do and contributions that nurses give to improve patient care can be influenced by nurse executives and nurse leaders. Organizations must promote nursing in a positive light. One way organizations can change the perception of nursing is by assessing what is presented on the organization’s web sites. According to Janet Kasoff (2006), few web sites include nursing images that are clear in the role of the nurse and services that are provided by nurses. There is a deficit in promoting the value of nurses and services they provide. Another way organizations can promote nurses is through community advertisements, newsletters, and accomplishments made by nurses within an organization. Many organizations do not take the initiative to promote nurses and what is promoted is usually brought about by nurses themselves. Nurse managers need to encourage their staff to obtain certifications in their respective field. Nurses must also take responsibility for their own career development. Nurse leaders and executives within an organization have the capability of networking with professional associations and committees to utilize their power within the organization to shape policies and make decisions . Promoting a nursing career should be a professional obligation and should be incorporated in every nursing school and organization. There are varied ways that the image of nursing can be changed. Communication which can reflect interest or disengagement is very important, and nurse leaders can act as role models for staff by promoting the image of nursing, and promoting further education and networking. This is will allow the public view nurses in a positive light, and also assists in educating the public in all the services nursing profession has to offer. Nurse leaders can also promote a positive image for nursing by visiting and speaking at their local high schools and colleges to encourage and recruit potential future nurses. Organizations need to take steps in describing what nurses do and the contributions nurses provide to the community. Future Challenges in Nursing Future challenges in nursing include shortages, predictions state that by the year 2015 there will be a shortage of 256,000 nurses across the country (Smith, 2009). The need for higher- level educated nurses. Is one factor in the nursing shortage. Nursing programs are filled to capacity, not because there are so many applicants for programs, but because there are not enough nursing instructors to meet the demand. Another cause for the nursing shortage is the retirement of the â€Å"baby boomer† generation. With their retirement also goes years of clinical experience, knowledge and clinical judgment. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported the need for highly educated nurses is increasing due to the realities of health care in the 21st century. During the 20th century the focus of health care and education was on acute illnesses versus today which is geared more to preventable illness and caring for chronic conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure and hypertension(Report at a Glance, 2010). Allowing nurses to practice to their full extent as allowed by their education would allow for improvements to the health care system. Many barriers such as regulations and governmental policies have stifled nurse’s roles; one example is a Nurse Practitioners (NP) role. NP’s are educated as an advanced practice nurse and as such, are allowed to see patients and prescribe medications without physician supervision. Although this is a positive step, there are still many states that do not endorse the Nurse Practitioner.. Conclusion Historically the image of nurses is reflected by pictures of handling bedpans, bandaging men, or sitting reading a book at the bedside. Although these images are real, the profession of nursing has evolved to one of research, leadership, and educators. Image is crucial to how one is perceived in public. Nurses must be cognizant of how they act, speak, and interact in the world. According to Yoder-Wise (2011), â€Å"if nurses think they are powerful, other’s will view themselves as powerful (perceived power)†. . Nurses are responsible for their professional image and have an accountability to promote nursing as a profession. We as nurses must take pride in what we do and all we have to offer, and ensure the public is educated in what a diverse profession nursing is.