Nursing as a Profession

Education and Transformation

Virginia McQueen
September, 13, 2017
 This presentation will help you identify:
• Characteristics of a Profession
• Nursing’s position on Professionalism
• Barriers and Facilitators
• Influences on the Growth of the Baccalaureate Education
• How Media Images of Nursing are transformed through education
 What dictates a Profession
• Flexner publishes a report in1910 about Medical Schools with suggestions for
implementing high standards for both admission and graduation
• Five years later, he publishes a list of criteria For all "True Professions"
• Hall publishes in 1968 a similar set of criteria for "attributes of professions
• 1990s Task Force on Professionalism came up with 10 characteristics of a
profession
• Huber had a definition in 2000
(Black, 2017, pp. 52-53)
 Criteria for a profession by Huber

• A calling or vocation
• Provides a service to society
• Expertise
• Academic preparation (lengthy)
• Commitment
• Responsibility
(Black, 2017, p 53)
‘While some of the early modern
nursing literature characterizes
nursing as “becoming “a profession,
the bulk of literature does not-it
already regards nursing as a
profession’(Fowler, 2015, p. 53)
 Nursing meets the Criteria
Profession Nursing Profession
• A calling or vocation • Caring
• Provides a service to society • Service Industry
• Expertise • Licensed
• Academic preparation (lengthy) • ADN, BSN or Diploma school
• Commitment
• CEUs and further education
• Responsibility
• ANA Code of Ethics
 Nursing meets the Criteria
Profession Nursing Profession
• A calling or vocation • Caring
• Provides a service to society • Service Industry
• Expertise • Licensed
• Academic preparation (lengthy) • ADN, BSN or Diploma school
• Commitment
• CEUs and further education
• Responsibility
• ANA Code of Ethics
 ANA (American Nurses Association) is a
strong force in Professionalism
• ‘Membership in a professional organization demonstrates commitment and a
willingness to be involved on a professional level beyond the typical
workplace responsibilities’ (Solheim, 2016)
• Has a Code of Ethics Standards of Practice, and other publications
• Promotes Nursing and Nursing Safety at the National and State levels
• Has Education benefits to keep Nurses current in their practice
• Helps Network
(http://www.nursingworld.org/)
 Promotion of Nursing as a
Profession
• Education/Continuing Education
• Licensure
• Professional organizations
• Commitment to Caring
 Education
• Florence Nightingale set the first standards for Nursing Practice. “Florence is also well
known as the founder of nurse training programs that provided a sound foundation for
nursing as a profession” (Steele. 2017, p. 59).
• Standards of Curriculum/Accreditation (Black, 2017)
• Nurses graduate from Diploma, ADN or BSN programs.
• Continuing Education
• Certification
• Evidence Based Practice-”EBP is aimed at hardwiring current knowledge into common care
decisions to improve care processes and patient outcomes.” (Stevens, 2013)
 Licensure
• NCLEX-RN is the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.
It is updated on a regular basis and taken by computer
• “A license issued by a governmental entity provides assurance to the public that the
nurse has met predetermined standards” NCBSN, 2011)
• Licensure by Endorsement –with proof of licensure, nurses may apply for a license
in another state
• Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) improves the mobility of nurses by being able
to practice on one’s state license for 90 days in another state. It has been not been
adopted by all states
 Professional Organizations
• “The purpose of both organizations included the development of standards of
practice and education. The superintendents, like the deans of today, concerned
themselves with educational standards and reforms.” (Lewenson, 2015)
• ANA formed in 1896. Focus on Standards of Practice, Code of Ethics and further
education
• NLN formed in 1893. Statement from their site : “NLN advances the field of
nursing education through professional development, research, student exam
services, nurse educator certification, public policy, and networking.”
(www.nln.org/membership/overview)
 Commitment to Caring

• Nursing is a service profession.

• Nurses want to help others.
• The profession centers around Patient Care
 Barriers to Professionalism in Nursing
• Three different types of nursing schools. Dissention between levels of
education on needing to be educated in a College of higher education.
• Female dominated field
• History of taking orders from hospital, Doctors and management
• Nursing Shortages promote a need for a quicker education
• Less than 10% of nurses join Professional Organizations
(Black, 2017)
 Growth Toward a BSN
• 1934 study “Nursing Schools Today” suggests a BSN education
• ANA proposed BSN education in 1965, 1979 and later.
• NLN studies nursing and suggests BSN degree in 1982
• AACN in 1996 approved a statement supporting BSN education
• 2010 Tri-Council agrees with NY State’s Board of Nursing on the recommendation of a
“BSN in 10”. This recommendation is for nurses to obtain a BSN within 10 years of
graduation with an ADN
• Magnet Hospitals focus on a workforce with a larger BSN staff. “The Institute of Medicine
(IOM), Future of Nursing Initiative recommended that organizations should strive to
achieve 80% BSN prepared nurses by 2020” (https://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/nurse/magnet/faq.html)
• ADN to BSN programs with many online
(Black, 2017)
 Nursing Image: Transforming Media
Interpretations through Professional Education
• Woodhull Study of 1977 finds that nurses are “invisible” to the public and media Nurses are
often seen in the media as sexy, tired, or not too smart. Male nurses often seen as “gay” (Weaver,
2014)
• Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future started in 2002 to enhance the image of
Nursing
• The Truth about Nursing (2015) focuses on educating the public about nurses Roles using Social
Media. “Changing how the world thinks about nursing” (http://www.truthaboutnursing.org/)
• Nurses to Look and Act professional and follow standards of care
• Nurses be aware of negative media images and protest against them
• Nursing Organizations to work with media on positive images of nurses
• Education of nursing students about image and image control
(Black, 2017)
 Social Media
Guidelines needed to stay professional
• Keep confidentiality by not posting any patient identifiers
• Stay within the law
• Follow your organization’s policy
• Keep personal and professional media separate
• Don’t post when you are tired or angry
• Watch for new and exciting new ways to use Social media for patient
education
References

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(n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2017, from http://www.nursingworld.org/

Fowler, M. D. (2015). Guide to Nursing’s social policy statement: understanding the profession from social contract to
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