...Abstract This paper addresses the lack of nursing opinion available in news media and public opinion, how it affects our profession and how we can change this perception. The general public is ignorant of the role nursing plays in healthcare and has misunderstood important aspects of the profession and how our contribution can be beneficial in many ways if we have a stronger voice. The perceptions and opinions are summarized from the third edition of the book, From Silence to Voice, and provide the resources for nurses to consider in getting their voice heard. The authors of this book describe the history of how nursing has allowed the profession to be overlooked and prevented our profession to be understood by allowing others to speak for us, and over us (Buresh & Gordon, 2013). Opportunities to overcome this perception will be discussed in detail and two supporting articles that address public opinion of nurses and how it relates to our status will be summarized to give opposing perspectives. The conclusion is an example of a letter to legislators that can help to have our voice heard in a persuasive manner addressing the effect technology has on the nursing profession. I urge you to consider issues in nursing that you are passionate about and get your voice heard. Nursing is a misunderstood profession. If you were to randomly ask anyone in the public what a nurse does you would likely get answers that deal with either, carrying out physicians orders, or dealing with...
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...Custom nursing writing service, sample nursing research paper, college nursing assignement , sample nursing essay How is Nursing Different from Medicine? Medicine is an area of human knowledge and expertise aimed at restoring health. Broadly speaking, it is the science which relates to the prevention, detection, cure or alleviation of diseases. It is a highly important profession in any country as its performance directly affects the health of the general public who acts as a backbone for any economy. Medicine has two aspects: both as an area of knowledge (a science), and as an application of that knowledge (medical professions). This article tends to focus on the latter aspect of medicine along with one of the most crucial individual practice in medicine named as nursing. By definition, nursing implies a profession that renders services necessary for the maintenance and improvement of health by giving attention to the requirements of sick people. It specifically includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, provision of physical and mental care, promoting comfort and serving patients in every possible way to make their life better. What nursing actually is has been a question that has received many different answers with the passage of time. There have been significant changes in the field of nursing, in how nursing is practiced and new developments and innovations that have been witnessed over the past century. The early 1990’s was a very...
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...Nursing’s Public Image How does the public view nursing? From its earliest beginnings, the profession of nursing has revolved around human needs. One of the greatest strengths of nursing is the extensive range of opportunities and options that it has to offer. There are many different levels of practice, specialties, and there are always opportunities to advance in the nursing profession. With nurses playing a major role in designing the new healthcare system in the United States, now there is an even greater need for a positive public image of nursing. However, nursing's contributions to healthcare may be transparent or even ignored by the public and the media. The media has an immense effect on the perceptions of society. Therefore, any misrepresentation of the nursing profession by the media may negatively affect nursing's public image. As nurses, we have a responsibility to the entire nursing profession to protect our image, and take action to ensure that the public is not mislead by the media. Over time, there have been many images of nurses purported by the media. Nurses play roles in movies, television series, plays, books, and in reality they may be seen on the news or in newspapers. Some suggest that these media portrayals are solely to blame for the public's misconceptions or stereotypes regarding nursing. In actuality, the public image of nursing has evolved as the nursing profession has evolved, even before media influence was a factor. In the late 1800's through...
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.............................3 Leadership and Management....................................................................................................................4 Recognition of Leadership.......................................................................................................................6 Characteristics of Leadership.......................................................................................................................7 Education and Preparation for Leadership......................................................................7 Vision and Goals.............................................................................................................9 Future of Nursing............................................................................................................10 Final Thoughts...............................................................................................................10 References......................................................................................................................11 Introduction In 2008, the merger of...
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...Mentorship Competency The success of any nursing student in any program in any clinical setting is multi-faceted enhancing the complicated nature of education and the perception of competencies whether student or educator. This is an important concept to be sensitive to as the process of moving forward with the knowledge and skill-sets needs to be supported and nurtured in order to facilitate the standard of care that is safe, accountable, and competent. The expectations of students within academia and within the staff mix on units can vary giving students a sense of role ambiguity diminishing the sense of belonging and taking away from the clinical learning experience. According to Higgins, Lathlean, Levett-Jones, & McMillan (2009),“Nursing students’ motivation and capacity to learn, self-concept, confidence, the extent to which they are willing to question or conform to poor practice and their future career decisions are influenced by the extent to which they experience belongingness (p.316).”Acceptance by senior and experienced nurses plays a pivotal role in the development of self-concept and application of theoretical perspectives into practice. Negative experiences with staff are detrimental to the learning process by creating environments of stress, anxiety, and an overall feeling of un-acceptance by staff, and at times, instructors. This can be attributed to the many factors that are influencing the profession of nursing including increased workloads, decreased staffing...
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...Image of the Nursing Profession The first impression one has on a subject or issue can change the rest of his life. That is the case that happened to me prompting me to pursue a career in nursing which I do not regret. So it happened that at the age of nine years, we had a neighbor who had recurrent asthma attacks and not having a means of transport they could come to our place and request our father to drive them to the nearest medical center. I used to go since the car had ample space. Throughout the visits I came to admire the role of the nurses, how they could take the sick neighbor who was struggling to breathe and assure us that she will be well in a while. And so I decided that when I grow up I want to impact a change onto the lives of people by playing a similar role. It feels great when one handles a patient and see him/her recovering. The first image that I had of a nurse changed my whole life. I perceived a nurse to be a person who had the power to give people the hope of life. Someone who could avert the situation when it seemed a person was at the blink of death. Over the years, this image has not changed. Though I have been introduced to more concepts that I didn’t know when I was making the choice I feel that the first image was correct. Nurses play a great role in the society and I am glad for the change I have impacted as I do my practice. Many people are influenced different and they have different perceptions towards nursing as a profession and the nurses...
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...The Image of the Professional Nurse Nursing is a profession that has a long, and rich history. Modern nursing began in the Crimean War with Florence Nightingale, where it evolved from a humble, over-looked, and usually religious occupation, for unmarried or matronly women. Using the CINAHL database, and the search terms stereotypes in nursing, and nursing stereotypes, to find information regarding the professional image of nursing, it is obvious that it is an image that has changed drastically since first becoming a profession. In the modern day and age, there is a demand for people to enter the professional field as nurses, and they are accepting of everyone. However, despite the wide acceptance there now is for anyone to become a nurse, there...
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...certain circumstances. As a researcher and a writer, Matthew Gribble analyzes his crime scene with diligence and care. The crisis: The shortage of nurses in America. The question: How and why did this shortage become a persistent problem? Matthew affixes strings of yarn to a number of gunshots: the increasing average age of the workforce, long hours, work that is often menial or clerical, and finally, relatively low salaries. But these strands lead to new questions, wider causes which have nothing to do with social yarn. These new questions have to do with rhetoric and the enduring association of nursing with “women’s work” and “femininity.” Matthew has the audacity to ask how the rhetoric of femininity actually functions. How and why are we compelled to accept images and tropes as ‘normal’ or ‘natural’ when they are anything but normal and natural? Is it possible that the rhetoric of nursing is responsible for the shortage? Or perhaps it is the rhetoric of femininity and masculinity as such? But how did such a crime take place, right under our noses, when so many of us never noticed that an injustice ever took place? This essay is brilliant and provocative because it will not stop until the crime...
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...The Historical Development of Nursing Timeline University of Phoenix Theoretical Foundations of Practice NUR/513 Alexandra Winter December 7, 2013 The Historical Development of Nursing Timeline The nursing profession continues to develop and transform in practice and roles mostly due to the development of nursing models and theories that promote evidence based practice. Nursing remains a profession of caring and service. The pioneers of this profession revolutionized this career and have allowed nursing to evolve while concurrently finding ways to provide better care. The earliest nurses did not attend nursing school; they were often women who provided care for the poor, sick or homeless without family support. In the middle ages, nurses who were affiliated with religious organizations, and they managed hospitals. In the 18th and 19th centuries, nursing expanded to include caring for soldiers wounded in war. The Civil War laid the foundation for a professional nurse. Their work changed the public's opinion about women in health care. Avant and Walker state that, “… during the mid-twentieth century and the years that followed, nursing leaders in the United States saw theory development as a means of firmly establishing nursing as a profession, and not just a task-oriented occupation with little autonomy” (Walker & Avant, 2011, Chapter 1). The historical development of nursing can best be explained using a timeline. Grand Theories – Broad Scope, General Concept...
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...Nursing as we know it today, started in the mid-1800s with a single women(“Birth of the nursing profession”).This woman believed she had a calling from God to become a nurse("Cassandra"). Despite the harsh childhood she endured, she did not let that stop what she thought was her calling. The Crimean War defined Florence Nightingale as the mother of nursing(“Birth of the nursing profession”). During the Crimean War, she dramatically reduced the death rates in hospitals by getting rid of the filth and establishing order("Cassandra"). After becoming famous and making herself a career, she brought nursing to the job force ("Cassandra"). Florence Nightingale inspired others to become the caregiver of the sick and injured resulting in modern day...
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...IOM Report: The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health Zillian Harvey Grand Canyon University NRS-430V September 27,2015 IOM Report: The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health The Institute of Medicine(IOM) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)conducted a survey from 2008-2010 which analyzed changes needed to reform nursing profession thereby improving healthcare in the United States overall. Due to the many challenges being faced by the healthcare system the report was done to focus on the evolving healthcare system focusing on the need for changes in the nursing profession. The committee focused on three primary areas of concern in the health care system which are quality, access and value. There has been a shift in the health challenges facing the health care system. There is a increase in disease processes conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, mental health which affects almost ever 2 Americans(CDC,2010a). These conditions are expected to continue (DeVol etal., 2007) with contributing factors such as diabetes. The aging population has seen a rise in the extensiveness of chronic illnesses. Census projections predicts the population of citizens older than 65 is expected to rise from 12.7 percent in 2008 to 19.3 percent in 2030 (U.S. Census Bureau 2008), due to the increasing life expectancy of the Baby Boomers. Projections from the U.S. census board projects...
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...Nursing is one of the many subcultures that plays an extremely vital role in society and the healthcare system. Nursing is the profession of observing symptoms, reactions, and progress of patients; administering medications; promotion of health; prevention of diseases; and rehabilitating patients of all ages, ethnicities, and communities. Although the nursing subculture has different values and philosophy about the practices of the profession, many nurses take care of their patients according to their medical knowledge, norms, and ethics. In this essay, I will discuss the history and culture of nursing as well as the beliefs, values, and behaviors of nurses and how they are viewed in society. The history of professional nursing began with...
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...Differences in Competencies of Associate degree and Baccalaureate degree level nursing Nicole M. Doherty Grand Canyon University Professional Dynamics Tara B. Harris, RN, MSN July 7, 2013 Differences in Competencies of Associate degree and Baccalaureate degree level nursing An associate degree educations main forum is a community college, where the program is 2 years and more focused on clinical skills. Most community colleges are in close proximity to student’s homes and cost less than a university education. An associate degree lacks theory and science behind nursing as a profession. A baccalaureate degree educations main forum is a university where the program is 4 years. It encompasses the essentials of the associate degree and expands the focus on physical and social sciences, research, theory, public and community health, management and humanities. A BSN education provides more for students and can create the nurses needed in today’s expanding health care system. (Lane and Kohlenberg, 2010) Research is linking nursing education to patient outcomes. Many surveys and researches have verified that higher levels of education impact the quality of care that patients receive to their outcome and whether their nurse possessed an associate or baccalaureate degree. In the October 2012 issue of Medical care, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that surgical patients in Magnet hospitals had 14% lower odds of inpatient death within 30 days and 12% lower...
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...The Nursing Shortage The history of nurses in our textbook, “Policy and Politics for Nurses and Other Health Professionals”, seems to suggest a deficit in nursing staff since the early 1900’s (Nickitas, Middaugh & Aries, 2016). As healthcare has transformed from the late 1800’s to the 2010’s, nursing has had to alter its practice to remain relevant and current with each era. This paper will share insight into the potential causes of the current nursing shortage, offer awareness of how nurses are preparing themselves to work in this setting and suggest methods through legislation to alleviate safety concern produced by limited staffing. Events Leading to the Nursing Shortage Current predictions by the American Healthcare Association (2009)...
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...THE FUTURE OF NURSING Future of Nursing Future of Nursing The education that was taught to nurses up and well into the 20th century is no longer valid for dealing with all the health care issues in the 21st century. The American population is growing older and more diverse with cultural, social-economics, race, ethnicity, and religions. There is a larger shift in the nation’s health care needs for the 21st century. Health care issues today have many chronic conditions such as, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, many mental health issues, and increasing obesity levels in the old as well as in the young. The registered nurse with a higher education will be able to function in unpredictable and complex situations. The registered nurse with a baccalaureate is able to demonstrate flexibility and critical thinking. The old, tired way nurses have been educated will be replaced with advanced learning in community-based, multidisciplinary patient care delivery system of the future. Nurses will no longer be in the back seat due to lesser education, but will be seated side-by-side with other heath care disciplines making educated decisions, quality improvements, and have great system thinking skills. The higher educated nurse will have great team leadership skills. Nursing education was primarily taught for health care challenges of the early 20th century. Education for nurses leading into the 20th century was the basics of keeping patients...
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