In the past 20 years the image of nursing has taken on many different roles in the media, most of it has not been positive, mainly sexual and hardly professional. Do you feel that this has played any role in patients perception of nursing care and management? And do you feel that the image of nursing in media has had a direct effect on the nursing shortage and lack of interest in nursing in the younger generation?

Hmm, good questions.

Remember that awful Aaron Spelling show, Nightengales? The one with the student nurses who were always bouncing around in their locker room, in their underwear?

This thread reminded me of an ad for a movie I saw last week, called "Old School". This guy is holding this blowup doll in the air and he's asking his buddies which uniform he should put on it. The cheerleader or the nurse uniform. Pissed me off. With all the talk of the nursing shortage out there, we're still getting no respect.

I have been researching the nursing shortage and the media's influence on it for part of this paper I'm writing. Yes, it is very degrading and it gives society a very demeaning view of who nurses are and what they do. I remember a "will and grace" episode where grace was dating a male nurse and she broke up with him because she couldn't get over it and then they had this whole thing (like a picture in her head) of him in a white uniform with a skirt doing "manly things" like play basketball and bar-b-que. And on ER when the nurses are just played into the background assisting the hero doctors. It's really sad and it isn't encouraging young people to join the profession. Some campaigns are being started to promote nursing. Johnson and Johnson has launched a major campaign to do this with their motto "nursing is the essence of caring." There are also a few others that go around to schools to introduce kids to nursing, and also media coverage on the shortage to raise awareness. I will try to find the article for Johnson & Johnson.

Keely

Hmm. I couldn't find it but I have this other one "mending our image"

http://www.nurseweek.com/news/features/02-06/image.asp

Keely

I really do think the way media portrays nurses influences how patients see us. (Ok I have 86 days to graduation yet). Most don't even know we spend years in education to do our jobs. It's rare to see a consistently realistic view of nurses.

Frankly, it's never bothered me. Think about it: do you believe that shows like "Boston Public" give the public a realistic image of teachers? Do you think that "L.A. Law" and "Ally McBeal" are true-to-life lawyer shows? Of course not.

Nurses will always be the object of male desire, just like the "uptight" teacher or librarian seducing a young boy -- remember Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher"?

I don't really think the problem is media's portrayal -- more like nurses' sensitivity.

As a male nurse -- or "murse" as they say on "Scrubs" -- I'm not offended by media jokes. I take it in good stride just as, I'm sure, female doctors or male nannys do. BTW, I know many doctors that roll their eyes at the portrayal of physicians on show like "ER". The difference, I think, is that they've learned that confidence and respect come from the inside, not from media portrayals.

You maybe just aren't offended b/c you are a man, Johnny. Yes, I'm offended by the media portrayal of not only nurses, but women in general. And yes, I think it does affect how patients perceive nurses (disclaimer: I am not a nurse yet). These types of influences can't help but influence how the general public view nurses...and teachers, female lawyers, buisnesswomen, etc...

There's a show called 'Doctors' shown over here in the UK, and last week they showed an episode where a student nurse (who didn't want to be a nurse, wanted to be an air hostess) was shadowing an RN in a GP's surgery. The whole episode focused on the RN and what her day involved, which changed the perception of the student, and hopefully a few viewers as well.

I really don't care how the media portrays nurses, since they don't portray any professionals realistically anyhow. Once pt's enter the hospital they figure out pretty quickly that nurses do all the work!! People are admitted to hospitals because they need the services that nurses provide, certainly not so they can see a doctor more often!!!!!!!!!

There are SO MANY threads on this subject. You ought to do a search when you have time to see a great variety of opinions on this hotly debated subject.