Comments on: Public perceptions of nursing

By: Nursing Schools In California

Nursing Schools In California — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:19:17 +0000

Hey thanks for the well written post. I’ll be passing this one along to my friend. She’s currently a nursing a assistant and studying to become an RN, she’ll enjoy this one.

By: Benedict

Benedict — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:13:41 +0000

I am constantly searching on the internet for strategies to help me. Thanks!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 11 May 2011 00:41:55 +0000

I have family members in all areas of healthcare, including nursing and medicine. I love nurses, but there are some serious issues in nursing that are not talked about. I think the main issue is simply that nursing as a group is too diverse. Unlike say medicine, where virtually ALL students are very bright and motivated, you have some RNs who are extremely bright and competent, and others who made it into nursing school but can’t do basic math or perform even simple technical tasks without error. Yes doctors make mistakes, but in my experience it has been nurses that make them more often and have less knowledge to correct the error on their own. Typically the best and brightest nurses tend to work in Critical Care and other highly technical areas. They also tend to be younger, male, and have more advanced education (I.e. a Bachelor of Science alongside a BN/BScN degree and/or training (I.e. former flight paramedic). This has simply been my experience. The problem becomes when the less intelligent/less educated nurses think they can perform at the same level as the other nurses. Mistakes happen, and public perception suffers for the group as a whole. At the end of the day, yes nurses work very hard doing all of the physical “day to day” tasks involved in patient care, but let’s not fool ourselves. The nursing role (and I’m talking plain old RNs here, not NPs, etc.) IS exactly that. At the end of the day, the doctor diagnoses the disease and prescribes the treatment, and the nurse stays at the bedside and carries out that treatment. It is what it is. I’m sick of the constant battle I see RNs in as they struggle to “prove” how valuable they are in comparison to other fields, doctors in particular. It reeks of insecurity. Nurses wanted to take over more complex care of patients in recent years. But now the ones who can’t handle it are complaining about it. The problem with the public perception of nursing is that NURSES as a group don’t know what they do and who they are. It is the only healhcare role in which the definition reads more like a jack of all trades master of none than any other field. One RN may very well be giving stool softeners, changing bandages, and pushing pills while another while yet another is adjusting ventilator settings in the ICU. This gap that nurses have created has caused the problem in perception. “Old school” style nurses who push pills and pride themselves as patient angels aren’t hungry for pubic “glory” and job perception as a nurse who runs the ER code team would be. Nursing is essentially too diverse for it’s own good, and yet still remains focued centrally on one dogma of what nursing it.

By: Man

Man — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:52:50 +0000

I was a male nurse and because of the public image in my country I left nursing. It was difficult to explain nursing duties to every one I meet. They have a bad perception about nursing. When someone ask me about my job and I answer “a Nurse”, he or she says aaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Ross

Ross — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:59:47 +0000

Hi Gemma, nice to have you visit…

I can totally hear where you’re coming from with your frustrations! Good luck as you finish up on your degree & enter into a completely crazy new world. Stay strong!

By: Gemma Burke

Gemma Burke — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:06:31 +0000

Thank goodness that I have found like-minded nurses. I am nearing completion of me three year nusing degree (Paediatrics) and have worked so hard to achieve this. Previous to this, I completed a degree in geography only to discover that I did not want to pursue it as a career. I have been comfronted by so many people that have a misconception of what nurses actually do and I do believe that it is due to ignorance. Only nurses and doctors truly know what we do and how important our role is for the patients welfare. In many instances, the doctors are asking the nurses for their advice so that they can make a proper diagnosis. The public do not see this however! One “friend” continually asks me how my shift was, wiping backsides all day!! It frustrates me so much.

By: Emma Bates

Emma Bates — Sun, 03 May 2009 10:40:24 +0000

Hi There

I probably have missed the deadline, but would have loved to written something for Beyond Borders: Nurses’ Stories about Working Abroad. I’ve just written a book entitled: Nursing Australia – A Guide to Working and Living as a Nurse Down Under

Working as an overseas nurse initially requires a much greater investment of energy than nursing at home, but the memories and experiences gained in return will reward you a thousand times over. Nothing in the world can replace the experience you gain and the general outlook on life you attain having stepped outside your own country and worked in another one for a while. To view your own country from another country’s perspective will open up your eyes to a whole new way of viewing the world.

See http://www.nursingaustralia.info for my experiences on Nursing in Australia

Emma