While nurses perceive themselves as professionals trained to complete medical tasks, the public views nursing as a low-status profession that subordinates the work done by physicians, does not need any academic qualifications and lacks professional autonomy. Besides, the public does not understand that there are different education levels and professionalism in nursing (Hoeve, Jansen & Roodbol, 2013). Despite the public’s realization of the importance of education in becoming a nurse, they do not have a clear idea of the meaning or practice of nursing. Further, the public views nursing as a profession with limited career opportunities and that the characteristics of the nursing profession are incompatible with an ideal career.
Factors that Influence the Public’s Perception of Nursing
The nursing profession is majorly influenced by the traditional cultural values and social norms regarding gender and professionalism. The stereotypical image of nurses portrays the conventional view of nursing as a profession that heavily leans on the female sphere of the family (Rubbi et al., 2017) . Nurses are therefore viewed as professionals who struggle for power in a gender-segregated society. For example, in Brazil, nursing is considered a female profession that extends women's role in society. Since nursing is perceived to be a predominantly feminine and domestic career, it has low social status.
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How to Educate the General Public on the Professional Nurse’s Role and Scope of Nursing in the Changing Healthcare System
The media can be used to publicize the positive role of nurses within the healthcare industry. This happens since online and offline media platforms reach many people in society (Salem, 2019) . In such cases, the public is likely to develop a more positive view of nurses and their activities within healthcare settings.
Legislators can also help solve the misunderstanding in the general public regarding the role of nurses in healthcare. This can be effected by developing laws that incorporate nurses' opinions (Rubbi et al., 2017) . When nurses' voice is not heard in the legislature, the voice of other groups that lack basic knowledge of the realities of the nursing practice will carry more weight. Such behavior is likely to undermine the nursing practice in the public.
Family and friends can also be used to change the public's perception of the nursing profession. In this case, friends and family publicize the positive experiences with nurses (Salem, 2019) . Therefore, nurses are portrayed as individuals who can promote healthy behaviors, conduct follow-ups on various conditions in society, and provide helpful resources to the sick.
References
Hoeve, Y. T., Jansen, G. & Roodbol, P. (2013). The nursing profession: Public Image, self-concept and professional identity. A discussion paper. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 70(2): 295-309. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12177
Rubbi, I., Cremonini, V., Artioli, G., Lenzini, A., Talenti, I., Caponnetto, V., La Cerra, C., Petrucci, C., & Lancia, L. (2017). The public perception of nurses. An Italian cross-sectional study. Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis , 88 (5S), 31–38. https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v88i5-S.6884
Salem, M. (2019). Public image of nursing. Advanced Practices in Nursing. 4(3): 1-3. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.36028.80009
