How society’s perception of nursing affects the occupation

Nurses are closely involved within the well-being and health of their community members. It is their responsibility to take care of others physically, mentally and emotionally. Because this care is commonly based on patient compliance, public perception of nursing has a big impact on the nursing occupation.

History of nursing perception

Historically, nursing has been considered a pink-collar occupation – jobs traditionally performed by women. This comes from the concept women are natural caregivers, and nursing has turn out to be an extension of this social standard. Nursing was considered a secondary role to the traditionally male doctor. This misogynistic way of considering led to many stereotypes that persist to this present day. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts aim to eliminate this outdated view of the occupation.

The image of nurses within the media, reminiscent of primetime television and flicks, also doesn’t all the time do the occupation justice. For a long time, nurses were solid exclusively in female roles and were traditionally secondary characters, operating on the periphery or supporting doctors, surgeons, etc.

Many nurses have bravely shared their stories and lobbied for higher policies to guard them. In 2019, members Royal College of Nursing told their annual congress that the portrayal of nursing in mainstream media undermines their professionalism and increases the danger of abuse from the general public. The portrayal and sexualization of nurses in mainstream media isn’t only inherently false, but additionally highly dangerous for girls within the occupation.

How COVID has affected perception

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought enormous pain and challenges to the occupation. The positive result, nonetheless, is that society has given nurses the popularity they deserve. During the pandemic, nurses were considered essential employees and were among the many few professionals working additional time in the course of the height of the pandemic. In an unprecedented moment in history, society has finally realized how necessary nurses are to society. Without their knowledge, experience, compassion and sacrifice, society itself would likely not have survived a pandemic of this scale.

This is shown by research on society’s perception of nursing 81% of individuals imagine that nursing is a good profession selection. Public outcry has mounted in response to each day news reports of nurses working long hours in unsafe conditions and struggling to deal with increased patient volumes without adequate resources and support.

Holly Kalua, BSHA, BSM, RN, CHBC reflected on the impact of the pandemic on public perception, saying, “The pandemic has pulled back the curtain on the intensity of workplace stress that nurses are subjected to every day. With the Covid-19 health crisis, there has been a new appreciation for nurses as they are hailed as heroes for working long hours in extraordinary and terrible circumstances.”

Unfortunately, not all views have modified. “However, this has not removed the stereotype of nursing as a subordinate profession in health care, considered a hospital expense and still not having an adequate voice in health policy,” Kalua added.

However, the previous couple of years have brought latest opportunities to fight the pandemic, reminiscent of business trips, telehealth opportunities and financial bonuses. These opportunities inspired younger generations to decide on the nursing occupation. With retirements and a persistent nursing shortage, an influx of young nurses was needed greater than ever in the course of the pandemic.

As pandemic restrictions are lifted and patient numbers decline, appreciation for the nurses who remain on the front lines has grown. As society begins to get well from Covid-19, the nursing occupation now faces latest post-pandemic challenges. Some nurses proceed to work with dangerously high patient-to-nurse ratios and don’t receive adequate support from healthcare managers.

Striking nurses advocate for the protection of their patients and support from their superiors. However, after the pandemic, the general public’s view of nurses has modified dramatically. Because of this, nurses must cope with unsafe and unfair working conditions alone. Met with striking nurses in Great Britain public aidbut that wasn’t necessarily the case for nurses here within the US

The good of the nursing occupation and the great of society truly go hand in hand. Society’s primary responsibility is to support nurses to do their job to the very best of their ability.

When Stacey Boetto, FNP-C, was asked if the general public’s perception of nursing was necessary to her, she responded, “The public’s perception of nursing definitely matters to me. This should concern each of us. We are an elite group of professionals who do extraordinary things in many respects.”

Nadine Yohn, RN, added, “For me, it all comes down to respecting me as a human being—the education I worked so hard to obtain, and understanding how much I respect you and want to help you.”

Nurses deserve mutual respect and care from those to whom they’ve dedicated their lives. In this manner, health care delivery could be improved by:

• More satisfied/fulfilled nurses providing higher patient care
• Care partners will work higher with patients if patients respect nursing care as much as they need to
• Nurse shortages resulting from the positive perception of nursing by society – increasing the pool of candidates

The importance of public perception of nursing

Negative perceptions can have tragic consequences. Public perception, mainstream media portrayal and the eradication of stereotypes are key to making sure support for all professions, especially nurses.

In the past, nursing had several narratives that it was continually working on. It is society’s responsibility to uphold the reality and show respect to the dedicated, intelligent and hard-working individuals who work within the nursing occupation.