Download Excerpts from: Educating nurses to impact change in nursing`s

Excerpts from: Educating nurses to impact change in nursing's image1 Teaching and
Learning in Nursing (2011) 6, 112–118-Reitha Cabaniss MSN, RN, C.N.E.⁎ -Thesis: The widely held view that nursing is not intellectually demanding or challenging
is the result of media-representation of nurses. The television producers of dramas with a
health care focus or new medical-dramas need a clear understanding of a nurse's function
and the important tasks performed as essential-members of the health care teamThe invisibility of nurses on hospital dramas sends a-message to television viewers that
nurses are unnecessary-because the role of physicians is presented as most valuable--The
knowledge, clinical-judgment, and the demands of nursing care are not publicly-visible.
The sentimental image of an inadequately educated-but nurturing and kindhearted
assistant at the bedside is-outdated (Benner, Sutphen, & Leonard, 2010 ).—
1. The term image can be described as “ a personally-believed-in mental picture that is
descriptive, evaluative-and predisposing in relation to some object (or group)”- (Crable &
Vibert, 1986 , p. 58).--These imitations of the person, environment, or thing
are-collective representations held in common by members of a-group and symbolic of
basic beliefs, values, and orientation to social, political, and economic issues. Boulding
(1956) Boulding (1956) continues to explain image classification-as public, self, and
professional.--Role schema is a process of perceiving reality that-organizes knowledge
about behaviors into categories, such-as gender and occupation.
2. The term schema is used to-describe recall of perceptual experiences, and the
schematic-processing defines the practice of taking in information used-later (Taylor &
Crocker, 1981 ). Schemas use general-knowledge about a subject and its attributes to
categorize-subjects as well as situations. Schemas are also thought to-influence behavior
or role expectations (Schank & Ableson,-1977 )--Stereotypes and socialization The
problem with stereotypical images-is that judgments may be true of an entire group but
do not-accurately portray individual group members. Stereotypes-are closely related to
prejudice , defined as negative biases-directed at individuals in a group based on their
group-membership (Niven & Robinson, 1994 ).
3. Socialization is a process of learning basic values and-orientations that prepare
individuals to fit into their culture-(Kalisch & Kalisch, 1987 ). One can identify the
assumptions-about a profession by analyzing the social structure and the-patterns of the
social interaction that characterize the-imaginary world (Kalisch & Kalisch, 1995
).--Promotion of image via television Television is viewed at close range and in a
private-context; thus, the illusion it gives of being with others had-profound
psychological implications. It is television, more-than any other medium, which provides
false companionship-through a form of intimacy that is illusive and-pretend (Berger,
1998 ).
3. Media misperceptions The “ naughty nurse” or sexualized use of nurse
characters-was first documented by Kalisch and Kalisch in the 1960s-and 1970s on the
silver screen and television. Tabloid and-local newspapers were guilty of using this
portrayal of-nurses, which coincided with the women's movement-(Bridges, 1990 ).
Depictions of nurses wearing push-up-bras, low-cut blouses, short skirts, and high heels
may excite-groups of men and physicians, but the message being sent is-that nurses
primarily serve an erotic purpose.-In more recent years, Dentyne Ice gum, Gillette
TAG-body spray, and Schich Quattro Titanium razors created-advertisements that lured
sexy nurses into bed with men who-used their products. Pop star Christine Aguilera
played a-sadistic naughty nurse in a print ad for Skechers shoes-(Cohen & Bartholomew,
2008 ). This type of advertisement-contributes to the devaluation of nursing and
jeopardizes-patient confidence in nursing care.
4. The term angel- implies compliance and caring but communicates
negative-connotations of uneducated, selfless, and with no career-ambitions (Bridges,
1990 ). Angel imagery suggests kindness-and benevolence. This description depicts
nurses as motherly-martyrs with no human needs and infinite capacity for
selfsacrifice-(Cohen & Bartholomew, 2008 ).--The angelic and little girl representation
does-not appeal to sophisticated, discipline-oriented, educated-people who wish to be
taken seriously as a professional-(Cohen & Bartholomew, 2008; Darbyshire, 2010 ).--The
image of an authoritative, overweight experienced-nurse boasting about with an
overbearing personality describes-“ the battleaxe” stereotype. One may envision the
Nurse-Ratchet character portrayed in the motion picture One Flew-Over the Cuckoo 's
Nest (1975) as one who used excessive-power to mistreat doctors, novice nurses, and
patients. This-representation of a battleaxe image emerged during the 1960s-and 1970s,
when the feminist movement was becoming well-known. The battleaxe nurse can be
viewed as one intended to-transmit female power and male dependency as the nurse
who-does not comply with the stereotypical image of the ideal nurse-(Bridges, 1990;
Darbyshire, 2010 ).
5. Men and nursing-Historically, men are not newcomers to nursing. Male-nurses are
rarely portrayed in media except as misfits or-homosexuals.--the reasons for low numbers
of men entering-nursing include role stereotypes, economic barriers, few-mentors, gender
biases, lack of direction from early authority-figures, misunderstanding about the practice
of nursing, and-increased opportunities in other fields (Meyers, 2003 , p. 18).--There is
little to no-representation of nurses as managers, executives, or-educational leaders. A
common belief supported in the-literature is that every nurse wished to be a doctor but
either-lacked intelligence or opportunity. This notion is supported-by media portrayal of
nurses being responsible for routine-and repetitive tasks. A lack of cultural diversity
exists in the-literature, as nurses are usually portrayed as white females-(Bridges, 1990 ).
6. Physician and nursing characters in-entertainment media--The study reported findings
from a content analysis of-670 nurses and 466 physician characters portrayed in
novels,-films, and prime-time television series published or produced-from 1920 to 1980.
Media nurses were found to be-predominately female (99%), Caucasian (95.6%),
single-(71%), and barren (89.4%).
7. Television series nurse characters-were depicted as valuing service to others and being
less-helpful to patients. Physician characters in a television series-were presented as more
nurturing and more empathetic than-nurse actors.--Popular medical dramas such as ER ,
House , and Grey 's-Anatomy are well-liked medical shows with large-scale-national
audiences. Each show fails to portray nurses with a-positive image. Fox's medical drama,
House , does not-represent nurses of any kind.--(NurseAdvocacy.org).-Grey's Anatomy
captures the glorified “secretaries” at the-nurses' station and constantly depicts nurses in
the-background of Seattle Grace Hospital as they work on-computers and handle
paperwork. During one of the three-episodes concerning a nursing strike in Season 2,
Dr.-Shepherd asks the chief, “Who is going to fill out all of my-paperwork?” In addition,
interns on Grey's Anatomy are-filmed performing many tasks that nurses would
normally-do, as well as give orders to nurses. In the very first episode,-intern Meredith
Grey is paged to the bedside of a patient who-has grand mal seizures. Meredith freezes
because she does-not know what to do next; she looks at one of the five nurses-present,
and one of them says, “You need to tell us what you-want to do!”
8. Scrubs, a television sitcom, exposes the work and-personal lives of three young
physicians at Sacred Heart-Hospital. The show's representation of nursing has not
been-impressive. The one nurse character, Carla Espinosa, has-revealed a little of her
nursing expertise. Some of the show-plot has actually focused on nursing issues such as
bigotry-toward male nurses, deciding to become a nurse, nurse–-physician tension, and
nurses' informal teaching of residents.- Scrubs has not portrayed nurses in an overall
positive light-but has done a better job than most current serial television-sitcoms.
9. A new health drama, Private Practice , was released-during the prime time in the
2007– 2008 television seasons. Dell, the nurse receptionist character seems to be-the least
knowledgeable nursing character portrayed on-television in several years. Early episodes
suggest the-midwife clinical studies as “ light weight New Age-kookiness.”--In the
summer of 2009, a new nursing drama titled, Nurse-Jackie , premiered on Showtime …
in the first episode, she snorted pills that she had-received from the pharmacist, had sex
in the laboratory room,-forged an organ donor card, flushed a patient's ear down
the-toilet, and took money from his wallet to give to a pregnant-woman. At the end of the
episode, she slipped her wedding-band back on her hand and went home to her husband
and-daughters (Knoploh, 2009 ). The Nurse Jackie fictional-character created by network
executives provides a compelling-example of a dysfunctional nurse.-