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9
Thoughts and Views
Public Image on Nursing
Ms. W.M.D.N. Abeyrathna, AH/BN/2017/459, Department of Nursing
Nursing is an art and a science. Science nursing and B.Sc. in Nursing degree
explains the tasks of a nurse and art addresses programs]. Lack of single educational
the most humanitarian relationships that touch pathway and the pass out of nurses from
the patients during the healthcare. Nursing is a several private institutions also affect the
unique healthcare profession that focuses on public image on nursing. Another reason is
the care of individuals and their families to nurses are not put enough effort into creating
help them to recover from illnesses and and maintaining their self-image (Varae et
maintain optimal health and quality of life al., 2012). Nursing education has been
(Taylor et al., 2018). Nurses are distinct from identified to focus more on skill development
other healthcare providers as they have a wide and technical proficiency rather than to
extent of practice and approach on patient contributed on broader issues related to the
care. profession. Personal experiences will also
affect for the image on nursing. The patient
What is this public image? Simply it is the experiences with the nursing profession
ideas public have about a person or an frequently arose from a direct patient
organization. Any organization, profession, experience or an indirect experience through
business etc. will be subjected to various ideas a friend or family member who was a patient.
and judgements of the general public. Further, Limited personal experience has been felt to
public image is how any of above is impact the public perception of nursing and
interpreted and the reputation it upholds in the potentially lead to controversial views on
community. I too believe that public ideas nursing (Godsey et al., 2020). People identify
about any organization, person or a profession
will affect for their progress. In such a nurse as a coldhearted, aggressive, tough
condition ‘Nursing’ is also subjected to both character who is not concerning about her
positive and negative judgments in the society patients but some may identify them as a
(Takase et al., 2002). Several factors have lovable, warm hearted and a respectable
been identified as barriers to upheld the public character. Behavior and language used by
image on nursing. hospital administrators; physicians are seen
as influencing the image of nursing in a way
Education is a key element for the that was a disservice to the nursing
development of any profession. Public think profession. Physicians also had been trained
that nurses as a set of people without sufficient to see nurses as extenders, helpers, help
knowledge, skills and as a set of people who mates or as something less than the physician
performs the tasks given by doctors (Fletcher, themselves. This approach is a huge problem
2007). One of the most frequently identified if physicians expressed such attitudes in front
explanation for the inconsistent image on of other health care professionals or within
nursing is the wide variety of entry levels earshot of patients (Godsey et al., 2020).
without any one consistent educational
requirement [from diploma Registered Nurse
(RN) programs to the associate degree in
October 2022 49
