For seven consecutive years nursing has ranked number one in Gallup's Honesty and Ethics of Professions poll.1 However, despite the public's trust in our profession, nursing only provides 1.1 percent of media reported quotes related to healthcare.2 While nurses are seen as trustworthy, kind and compassionate, the public is largely unaware of what nurses contribute to health care. Szydlo & Fisher recommend 3 basic strategies to assist nurses in demonstrating to the public that the care we provide is critical:
1) Be constantly aware of what we convey to the public about the nursing profession each day through our appearance, speech and actions;
2) Be sure that we only speak positively about the profession to others; and
3) Inform the media when their portrayals of nurses are inaccurate or even insulting.
We need to teach our students to, once they are licensed, introduce themselves as a registered the role of the nurse to patients. to understand just which profession is doing what related to their care. Faculty, students, and practicing nurses should make affirming statements such as, "I will consult with the doctor about getting you a medication to alleviate your pain. I will administer the medication to you and then reassess that the medication is working."1 This type of comment reflects much more positively on the profession than "I must get a doctor's order to medicate you for pain."1
Emphasize to your students that they should never refer to themselves as "...just a nurse." Whenever the opportunity arises, inform the public as to the educational requirements, knowledge, and responsibilities of the nursing profession. When students see or read an inaccurate portrayal of a nurse, they should be encouraged to send letters, make phone calls, or send emails.
Buresh and Gordon2 provided us with suggestions and guidelines as to how we make our professional voices heard. Sadly, Szydlo and Fisher remind us that the public's image of nurses has not adequately or appropriately progressed. We as faculty need to assist our students to do a better job of advocating for the nursing profession than we seem to have done.
References
1. Gallup.com. (2008, Nov. 24). Nurses shine, bankers slump in ethics ratings. Available at http://www.gallup.com/poll/112264/Nurses-Shine-While-Bankers-Slump-Ethics-Rating. Accessed on February 6, 2008. [Context Link]
2. Buresh, B., & Gordon, S. (2006). From silence to voice. What nurses know and must communicate to the public (2nd Ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. [Context Link]
Source: Szydlo, C., & Fisher, B. July 22, 2009. Advocating for Nursing: Society needs to understand the importance of what nurses do. Advance for Nurses. Available athttp://nursing.advanceweb.com/editorial/content/editorial.aspx?cc=203283. Accessed on July 27, 2009.
Submitted by: Robin Pattillo, PhD, RN, News Editor at [email protected].