A few weeks ago Professor June Girvin (@ProfJuneG) wrote an insightful blog (you can read it HERE) about nursings image in response to a news story about a health trust turning down a donation as the money had been raised by a bed push that the trust had deemed "demeaning to nurses" The full story is HERE: 

The story was much talked about on Twitter with some diverse perspectives being shared.  Junes blog raises some really important points about why need to think again about nursings image:

• "There’s nothing wrong with being seen as attractive and sexy – as long as it doesn’t become one of the most common public images associated with your profession."
  
• "Objecting to these portrayals isn’t about nurses ‘losing their sense of humour’ or their ability to have fun.  It’s about pointing out the danger of ‘disparagement humour’ – when prejudice/sexism/racism is delivered in a joke." 
  
• "The pressure on nurses to ‘just get over it’ has been around forever."
  
• "If a profession is subject to decades of  low recognition, innuendo, and lack of respect, then should we be surprised if sections of society and government are dismissive about its worth or importance?"

June concludes by stating:

"When some elements of society see nurses as cheerful, hard-working young females happy to give their all for the love of it; others see them as something to make fun of, mock or denigrate; our own professional organisations and leaders don’t make a strong, consistent stand against disrespectful representations; and some nurses collude because they think it’s ‘affectionate’ or funny – don’t expect any Government to be falling over itself to treat nurses as the serious, highly educated, knowledge-based professionals that they are."

This raises some very interesting questions about the image of nursing and the images that persist and how we respond to these perceptions. It also worth considering the relationship between the image of nursing and the influence of nursing as a profession.  This discussion aims to explore some of these thoughts and perceptions, whether they are acceptable or ultimately damaging to nursing.  

Think about nursings image, then think harder - by June Girvin is a must read prior to this discussion