The public perception of nursing is how the public perceives the nursing profession. Over time nurses have tried to define their roles and professionalism. Nursing has been pinned as a growing profession with its roots connected to Florence Nightingale. When picturing nursing, one first thinks of a female with neat hair, a uniform, shoes, and a stethoscope on her neck (Browne et al., 2018). The nursing fraternity is presumed not to accommodate males.
The public views the role of nursing to be entirely a female duty. Though nursing has initially been a profession reserved for females, its scope has diversified, and male nurses have been trained over the years. The responsibilities of nursing are considered to be demanding and should be done with caring and concerned people. Most people view males to be so hard-hearted that they cannot care enough to provide quality nursing. Society presumes nurses should always be uniformed when in medical facilities.
Initially, the nurses were not thought to be valuable, but with the Covid-19 pandemic, the perception has changed. The nurses were at the forefront of managing Covid-19 patients. When one decides to train for the profession, it is assumed no nurse would like to die while at work. The nurses are too selfless and did not worry about being infected and dying of Covid-19 contracted from the patient (Salvage & Stilwell, 2018). They care for the patients with love and hoped to help them get better.
The public view of nursing has therefore changed due to the way they cared for Covid-19 patients. Nurses are described as loving, selfless souls dedicated to saving patient lives. The nursing workforce has been celebrated worldwide, with the public showing their love and respect for them. The governments have also shown their appreciation for the profession by increasing their wages and safety. Because of the new perception nurses are being encouraged to work well.
References
Browne, C., Wall, P., Batt, S., & Bennett, R. (2018). Understanding perceptions of nursing professional identity in students entering an Australian undergraduate nursing degree. Nurse Education in Practice, 32, 90-96. Web.
Salvage, J., & Stilwell, B. (2018). Breaking the silence: A new story of nursing. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(7-8), 1301-1303.