Being an individual who does not watch Television, this was a challenging question that I had to research and read our assigned material to obtain an answer. I realize I am a minority when it comes to not watching TV, and I was surprised as I read how we are portrayed. Considering nursing is one of the largest professions, and the largest segment of the nation’s healthcare workforce, the media seems to be giving a nurses a negative image by making a mockery of the nursing profession. Between the seductive outfits, rudeness, incompetence, subservient to doctors, and all the affairs, Think about how susceptible the younger generation is, by watching shows like Nurse Jackie, oh my! I am starting to realize why we have such a huge nursing shortage. Even movies tend to either have just brief unimportant scenes as seen in Steal Magnolias, or making a stereo type mockery as seen in Meet the Fockers.

If people truly believe what they see on TV, that is unfortunate. That would mean that the majority of people do not really know the role of a nurse, until a nurse is needed personally or a family member need one. News stations tend to gear towards a fear based drama and negative outcomes in every avenue.

To improve the image of nursing to the public, the various nursing associations could work together to create awareness of all the attributes of being a nurse. Even focus in positive ways to the younger generation getting ready to graduate high school, by sparking an interest to choose nursing as a