For years, the general public has perceived the nursing profession as an occupation explicitly tailored to assist physicians. However, the modern healthcare context has modified this tendency by introducing nursing as a separate profession that allows the practitioners to communicate with the public. When speaking of the public perception of the nursing profession, it is difficult to outline a unanimous opinion on the subject. According to the research, some people respond negatively to the nursing image because they are driven by the prejudice that the profession itself is rather insignificant when compared to physicians (Nageshwar, 2018). Such a faulty image is frequently created by media and popular culture, as doctors are more likely to be discussed in the news and TV shows. Another factor that contributes a lot to nurse’s image in society is the notion of education, as people tend to assume that both RNs and BSNs receive a degree insufficient to become professionals.
Thus, there are various ways to reclaim nurses’ position in society. The most influential ones may be outlined as follows:
- Isolating the nursing profession from physicians. Many people tend to miscomprehend the value of nursing because nurses frequently remain in the shadow of doctors. As a result, they become inseparable from the physicians and lose their value. Hence, it is necessary to present to the broad public information that distinctly divides the responsibility zones of the two occupations.
- The need to reclaim the nurses’ image in media and popular culture. There exist dozens of shows dedicated to the daily routine of physicians, whereas nurses often play episodic or supporting roles. Ironically, the same role distribution is then noticed in real life. Hence, it is of crucial importance to represent nurses as individuals who have their own responsibilities in order for the general public to reconsider their attitude.
- Providing nurses with more opportunities in terms of public health promotion. Over the past years, nurses have been given the role of community health advocates. However, the extent to which they may employ this opportunity is limited by a lack of proper agenda and financial support.
Reference
Nageshwar, V. (2018). Public perception of nursing as a profession. International Journal for Research in Applied Sciences and Biotechnology (IJRASB), 5(5), 15-19. Web.