Image of Nursing from the Past to the Present

Image of Nursing from the Past to the Present
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Lecturer’s Name
Assignment Due Date
Image of Nursing from the Past to the Present
The image of nursing impacts various areas of nursing such as funding, enrollment to nursing school, recruitment, and interaction between nurses and other healthcare professionals, among others. Arnott, Paliadelis, and Cruickshank (2019) define an image as a reflection of something. In nursing, image is a reflection of the nursing profession; how others view nursing. The image of nursing is affected by many issues, as will be discussed in this paper.
Stereotypes of Nursing
The nursing image has been affected by stereotypes. In the past, nursing had been viewed as a female profession, and even though there are many male nurses today, the stereotype is still there (Arnott, Paliadelis, & Cruickshank, 2019; Godsey, Houghton, & Hayes, 2020). Also, nurses' work has been assigned a low status and subsequently a low pay. Another stereotype is that nurses should be seen and not heard (Arnott, Paliadelis, & Cruickshank, 2019). Yet, they remain invisible, especially for their contribution to healthcare. Nurses have been assigned the stereotype of naughty nurses, a streotype that is still common even today, especially on social media (Zerwekh & Garneau, 2021). Nurses have also been mispresented as professionals who lack profession judgment because they are viewed as doctors' assistants (Salem, 2019). Consequently, nursing has been seen as a profession lacking autonomy (Godsey, Houghton, & Hayes, 2020).
Realistic Portrayal of Nursing
In reality, nursing is an independent profession that allows nurses to make clinical judgments regarding patient care and overall well-being. Rather than being assistants to doctors, which is how they are perceived, nurses are collaborators in healthcare and contribute significantly to the healthcare system (Godsey, Houghton, & Hayes, 2020). Their contributions should not be overlooked or regarded as secondary. Nurses can influence healthcare policy, provide primary care as advanced practice nurses, and lead major healthcare initiatives.
Impact of Misrepresentations on Nurses and Nursing
The stereotypes and misrepresentation of nursing have negative impacts on the profession. It affects nurses' visibility (Arnott, Paliadelis, & Cruickshank, 2019). Due to the stereotypes/misrepresentatio...