public's view of nurses

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How you think nurses are viewed by the general public?

Thanks in advance for your reply. It means a lot!

Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

Exactly, Lindarn, I couldn't agree more w/you. If only nurses realized how much power we have, or could have, if we weren't so "emotional"....for lack of a better word and maybe even afraid, afraid to stand up for what's right, to demonstrate that we have education, knowledge and skills. Sadly, nursing has never been a profession to view itself as just that...a profession. It is said time and time again that nurses are caretakers, nurturing, that we are in this profession due to a "calling", likening us to some sort of ethereal beings, angels of mercy. Willing to forfeit humane, fair working conditions and overlook what is the "right" thing and allow administration to treat us as doormats d/t that mentality. If we could stand together as professionals and demand what is fair and right perhaps nursing would be a better world. Perhaps the public would become educated as to our true role in the healthcare system.I find it usually the "young" (to nursing) nurses that have the idealistic mentality about our profession. The more "seasoned" nurse understands the political pitfalls of nursing and many, many nurses after 10-15 yrs practice leave the bedside.

I coudn't agree more. That public may think that we are wonderful, but, as stated above, that is due to the subservient, handmaiden, servant image, who accepts their place without complaint, low wages and compensation, and we do it with little protest.

Just wait and see if we, as a group, became more militant. Demanding safe staffing, MUCH HIGHER PAY, and benefits., respect, etc. and took the militant step of just walking off the job and leaving the mess for the "nurse managers and administrators", without the assitance of scabs from that strike breaking agency. You get the picture.

We can't even protest without our peers chastising us for "unprofessional, and uncaring" conduct, concerned more about, (E-gads), money and compensation, than our "calling" as nurses. Will it take the entire profession being dissolved so we can be replaced by unskilled labor and foreign nurses who will work for pennies to send back to the "old country". It certainley seems that way, doesn't it? When they finally get the "finished product" from the two week courses for aides, and the foreign nurses who can barely speak English, and could't care less that the workload is nowhere near safe, and could't care less what your grandmother needs. Because if they complain they will be sent back to their own country in disgrace. That is when the public will finally realize the value of nurses. It will be too late at that point.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

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How you think nurses are viewed by the general public?

Thanks in advance for your reply. It means a lot![/QUOT

The general public really doesn't know what we do. Alot of them still have the sterotypical image of the "handmaiden" to the Dr. If fact, the other night, I saw a commercial for a men's cologne. The person using the cologne is in the hospital and the tag line for the commericial is that if you use it, the "lusty nurses"- (their words, not mine) would be attracted to you. The "nurse" in the commercial comes into the pt's room in a short, white nursing uniform and cap. The "nurse" is also tall, blond, and has large breasts.

Unfortunately, this adolescent view of nurses and (woman , in general)-is how the media sees us and continues to perpetuate this stereotypical image.:angryfire

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Wow! I couldn't agree more with everyone's statements. The thing is that it feels like administration et al take advantage of our good nature in this profession.

I have been in healthcare going on 20 years - 12 of which as an RN. It seems like we are expected to wear the "angel wings" and "whipping posts" strapped to our backs at the same time. - Maybe, I am just burned out or perhaps have "wised up" over the years. Something has to change - I just wish I knew where to begin with suggestions.

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I believe most people do not understand the nursing profession well. The public in general is unaware of the time and effort nurses put into their education. Instead of having a genuine respect for nurses, most people express a sentimental affection for them, much like the affection one would have for her mother. Many people tend to view nurses as virtue workers driven by a calling, and not serious healthcare professionals.

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Specializes in Multiple.

The public see nursing in the way it is portrayed through the media in programmes like ER, Scrubs, Emergency Ward 10, Greys Anatomy etc. (in the UK also add Casualty, Holby City etc too.)

If we do little to correct some of these images - esp the negative ones like the 'sexy nurse' in soft Media etc. they will continue to believe the media hype - and their opinion changes briefly too when there is bad press about health care professionals in the news.

On the whole people have a patchwork of opinion made up of good and bad TV coverage plus a little personal experience.

It's down to us as nurses to ensure that the public get a true and accurate picture of the face of nursing - and each of us have a responsibility to do something about negative images too.

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Nurses are caring,kind hearted and always helpful for those who need.

this is the only nurse who can take place after mother

:uhoh21: :rolleyes:

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Somehow the public forgets about us "night-shifters",

I think the especially the family just thinks little fairys come in at night to take care of their loved one.

As evidenced by...... numerous cards that only list the day shift people, candy boxes for "the day shift", and patients and family that say...."oh boy, that nurse the other day.....mary so-and-so was really nice"

I cant stand that- I am a night shift worker, and we work just as hard as the day shift......just because we dont carry long conversations with the patients and families for hours on end to allow for healing sleep to occur.....doesnt mean we dont exist.

Oh, I love the people that also think we come to work, see the patients and then go to sleep ourselves. What is the public thinking?????

Ok, I am done ranting. :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.

cre8tivRN, you are so right. That is why I prefer that families leave a "general thanks to the nurses on board" when they wish to give a card or chocolates (yummy)...no names identified or shift...because it is more inclusive of all the nurses that took care of the family member.

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I coudn't agree more. That public may think that we are wonderful, but, as stated above, that is due to the subservient, handmaiden, servant image, who accepts their place without complaint, low wages and compensation, and we do it with little protest.

Just wait and see if we, as a group, became more militant. Demanding safe staffing, MUCH HIGHER PAY, and benefits., respect, etc. and took the militant step of just walking off the job and leaving the mess for the "nurse managers and administrators", without the assitance of scabs from that strike breaking agency. You get the picture.

We can't even protest without our peers chastising us for "unprofessional, and uncaring" conduct, concerned more about, (E-gads), money and compensation, than our "calling" as nurses. Will it take the entire profession being dissolved so we can be replaced by unskilled labor and foreign nurses who will work for pennies to send back to the "old country". It certainley seems that way, doesn't it? When they finally get the "finished product" from the two week courses for aides, and the foreign nurses who can barely speak English, and could't care less that the workload is nowhere near safe, and could't care less what your grandmother needs. Because if they complain they will be sent back to their own country in disgrace. That is when the public will finally realize the value of nurses. It will be too late at that point.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Linda, as always, you have cut through the sentimental crap to tell it like it is. I salute you. And I too wonder where our profession will be in 10 years, if we have a profession at all. :(

Thanks for your honesty. :)

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There is a survey that comes out every year about the top rated professions relating to being trustworthy (I think) and Nurses had it every year until 9/11, when the firefighters went to first. Nurses came in second that year!

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Specializes in PICU, Nurse Educator, Clinical Research.

wow....so many thoughts come to mind.

today, i was looking for books on critical care nursing on amazon. just to see what i'd find, i just typed in the word 'nurse' and searched. take a look at what pops up when you do that- a whole **load of naughty-nurse costumes. then books. :imbar

when i said something to my mother about how i rarely have time to pee at work, she said, 'well, what do you do on your breaks?' WHAT breaks?? then she said, 'well, how much time do you actually spend in the room?' Umm..pretty much all of it, except the one time i go pee, and the brief moments i'm gulping food down, sitting outside the door, or twenty steps away in the break room. then she said, 'well, what is it exactly that you *do*? I thought you pretty much do whatever the doctor orders you to do.' She had literally no idea that the docs typically spend ten minutes at the start of the shift in the room during rounds, then they come in when the *nurses* tell them they're needed.

also, i'll never forget something a classmate of mine said during school. we were talking about a movement to abolish the term 'male nurse', something as derogatory as 'female doctor', imho. My classmate said, 'i hope someone comes up with a new term for us besides 'nurse'. babies nurse at the mother's breast. am I essentially a breast?'

then there was my friend who was a medical assistant at a doctor's office while waiting to get accepted to med school. at a party, someone who didn't know her asked if she was a nurse. she said, 'well, essentially, yes...but i work closely with the docs in more of a collaborative way.'

:stone

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Actually I think how the public defines what a good nurse is and what actually constitutes a good nurse are two entirely different things.

I worked with one nurse who did very little when it came to taking care of her patients, except for passing out meds, that was basically all she did all day in regards to actual patient care. The only other thing she did was yak away with the patients. Consistently she would be singled out by patients and their families and praised for being a "wonderful" nurse when they sent thank you notes or gifts (ie: fruit basket, chocolates). Not only wasn't she the sharpest tool in the shed, when you worked with her, you continually had to pick up her slack. She rarely charted her own assessments, the LPN/RPN usually charted all the assessments, interventions, etc on HER patients. NEVER once saw her even assist with cleaning a soiled pt, much less ever put them on a bedpan.

Frankly I think the public confuses good nursing care with customer service in alot of instances.

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