Public Image of Professional Nursing

[ThatGuyTom]

Hello Nurses!

I'm a student nurse and I need some input for a class presentation. My topic is The Public Image of Professional Nursing. Reason why I'm posting this here is because I'm sure most of you here have been in the "Nursing World" for quite some time and may know how the image of nursing is viewed.

So far, I'm thinking about starting off with:

1. History of Nursing (e.g. many years ago, it was viewed as witchcraft, etc)

2. Media's View (e.g. from news, T.V. series or movies like Meet the Focker where the main character was a nurse, etc)

3. Views from other health professionals (e.g. how doctors view nurses)

4. Cultural view (including how female/male view nursing and perhaps even other countries in the world.)

5. Solve Problem (e.g. prob: men who nurses are view as "feminine or Gay"; solution: get more men involve..etc)

I'm not telling you guys to do my research, but to merely give any ideas associated with this topic since you guys have more experience in the nursing world than I do. I just started Nursing school last week. YAY!!!! :balloons:

Thanks to any help in advance! Allnurses.com rules!!

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

great outline.

check out: [color=#0000cc]center for nursing advocacy and online journal of issues in nursing for links re your ideas

[ThatGuyTom]

Thank you very much. Other inputs will be appreciated as well :)

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

images from postcards of nursing: a worldwide tribute.

nursing, the finest art: an illustrated history

[Katnip, RN]

Om regards to nurses having been thought of as witches, I think those were healers, and herb-women, not nurses. In England, and we're talking 14th-15th centure, maybe even 16th, they were called white witches. But they were precursors to physicicans more than nurses since they made medical diagnoses and treated accordingly.

Historically, professional nurses were looked down upon because it was not a lady-like thing to do, dealing with nude bodies, and things a proper lady shouldn't even hear about much less experience first-hand. Of course, during wars, camp followers often did act in a nursing capacity. But camp followers weren't though much of either. Only the prostitutes and wives and children of the lower clases did that.

Well, for the most part, we know how the media portrays nurses-as sex objects, hand-maidens, or once in a while, you'll see them portrayed realistically. But the media doesn't really portray lawyers and police realistically either. Look at CSI.

Doctors are funny. Some really truly respect and appreciate the nurses' role. I find age doesn't make that much of a difference. I do find nationality does. Doctors from a culture where women are second class seem to have much less respect for nurses. I've seen some who come in as first-year residents thinking nurses don't count for much. Give them a year and some will actually learn.

In my experience other healthcare professionals, radiologists, phhysical, occupational, and speech therapists look at nurses as team members. They'll work hard to communicate with the nurses to keep things going smoothly.

I think it's unfortunate that a lot of female nurses look down on male nurses. Silly, really especially when females have had such a hard time breaking into male dominated professions, yet we do the same. I personally welcome male nurses into the field, and feel they should not be barred from any specialty, yes even GYN. There are male doctors who aren't barred from it. I do know that some cultures do object to male nurses. But they can also object to male doctors treating women.

I think it's a shame people can't accept that most men in nursing are not gay. And so what if they are? A gay man is no better or worse a nurse because of it. What's funny is you don't hear a peep about lesbian nurses. Or lesbian engineers, lawyers, etc. For some reason, that's not a bad thing.

[ThatGuyTom]

Thanks! ^^ any other ideas regarding Nurses' image?