Nursing Image and Empowerment: Beyond Professional Conduct

Abstract

The public image of nursing influences someone’s decision to choose the nursing profession, to remain in nursing, to promote nursing, and to progress in nursing. The society undervalued nursing as a profession probably due to its female dominion, suppression of females in the society, and the portrait of nurses as ‘physician’s maid’ in the media. We need to redefine our image around professional attributes such as critical thinking, therapeutic interventions, problem solving, health teaching, leadership, and communication. Our image is evolving as nurses take up the lead role and prove their efficiency in healthcare delivery, hospital administration, medical education, and healthcare research. Though these developments on one side are promising; on the other side, our professional image needs more care. Beyond the professional ethics and conduct, we need to assume certain strategies to improve the societal image of our profession. We need to have a positive perception and attitude that will automatically be reflected in our behavior, and our positive projection in the society will change the perception of society. We have the responsibility to project ourselves well in front of the society. Conversing positive about our profession and professionals will make us love our profession one day. It will also help others to value our profession. We must promote our multiple inputs to the society through media and social networks so that it reaches out to the non-nursing professionals. Though our education, legislative bodies, and leaders empower us, until we proudly say that "I am a nurse" with our shoulder straight, our professional image in the society will not improve.

Keywords: Empowerment, image of nursing, perception, professionalism, professional image