Role of the Nursing Profession

McConnell (1995) in her recent article on valuing the nursing profession wrote that nurses must reconnect with their role as nursing professionals and become aware of the importance their role in promoting health care. She reminds nurses that people generally have a limited understanding of the work nurses do and any statement the nurse may make, regardless of whether or not it is related to nursing, can affect the publicÆs perception of nurses. According to McConnell, health care is not to be confused with ôhigh-techö machines. Preventive interventions and caring for patients are as important as other facets of nursing practice (McConnell, 1995, p. 53).

Davidhizar and Giger (1995) agree. In their article on the nursesÆ role in healthcare, they write that there has been progress, but nursing must continue to clearly define its role in the ever-changing health care environment. In whatever setting a nurse works, there is a need for them to educate other professionals about the role of nursing which Davidhizar and Giger (1995) calls ôvital.ö

They go on to say that the changes in health care with the emphasis on a continuum of care has created a leadership role for staff nurses who track the progress of patients from admission to discharge and h

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different categories of hospital staff. He assumed the women were nurses and the men were doctors. This was his first and only experience with nurses and it was positive. He did not have a serious break, was not in great pain and was treated nicely with concern and attentive caring by the emergency room nurses. This experience has positively impacted his view of nurses. As long as a negative experience does not replace it, he will probably continue to think of nurses in a positive manner. Among all interviewees, there is a perception of nurses as not as professional as the other professions listed. One interviewee pointed out the relationship between perception of professionalism and the amount of money earned. Valuing nursing based upon pay scale moves it well down the list. Nursing has benefited from its long history. It is one of the most highly recognized professions. However, there is clearly a need to ôupgradeö the publicÆs perception of the value of the role of nursing in the health care system. Nursing is viewed as an essential, but not highly skilled profession, in some sectors of the population. This is simply not true anymore, and it behooves nurses to more actively promote the profession. The low pay and
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Approximate Word count = 2510
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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