Historically, the professional status of nursing has been influenced by several factors.

This essay will

discuss three important factors that have contributed to the professional status of nursing and its
evolution, into an educated, professional group, who that can be relied upon to provide holistic care
in the medical field. Initially, a discussion about the significant contribution of nursing theorists to
establish the profession as a scientific field that transformed it, moving from a vocation to an
educated skill-based profession. Next, discussion intoit will be shown the importance of caring as
athe foundation of the nursing profession and the uniqueness of the profession in providing holistic
care. Finally, the way misrepresentation of nurses through within multi-media has resulted in
certain stereotypes that have negatively affected the status of the professional status.

Nursing theory is a key factor in the development of professional status of nursing and contributes
to nursing as evidence-based practice. Nursing theory can be described as a collection of concepts
supported by research that provide a reason for practicing care a specific way (Gaines, 2020, para.
1). A profession can be described as a job that requires specialised education and is skill based
(Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.). According to Alligood (2017), nursing used to rely on nurses passing
down skills and knowledge being passed down from generation to generation and was described as
“apprenticeship” style learning (p. 2). The shift from “vocation to profession” occurred over
decades, starting in the 1950s when nursing hierarchies pushed to have nursing considered as a
scientific subject (Alligood, 2017, pp. 3-4). Another central aspect to nursing’s professional
development was research. Investigations were undertaken to display the wayhow nursing differed
from medicine, by looking at nursing through a scientific lens and exploring the knowledgewhat that
needed to be taught specifically to nurses (Alligood, 2017, pp. 2 -3). The objective was to increase
understanding of nursing practice, to provide better care and to be recognised as an independent
profession (Alligood, 2017, p. 2). An example of nursing theory is Watson’s Caring Science,
undertaken by. Pprominent nursing theorist, Dr Jean Watson, which argued thatsaw that nursing
had become biologically and technologically dependent and that using the ten Carative factors could
direct nurses back to the concept of human caring (Breneol et al., 2019, p. E15). Watson showed
that evidence-based theory can be used as a lens to practice in a specific way, to ensure that caring
remained at the centre of nursing care and that the whole of a person is considered when evaluating
care (Sitzman & Watson, 2018, p. 5; Alligood, 2017, p. 69). Nursing theory has influenced how
nursing is seen today, as an independent profession that is evidence based.

The next key factor that has contributed to the professional status of nursing is the foundational
principle of caring and providing the practice of holistic care. When entering the nursing workforce,
it is common to have a desire to help and provide care (Arnott et al., 2019, p. 5). Early in the
profession, one of the pioneers in modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, described activities of
caring as staying by a patient’s bedside while they were dying and sending letters home to patient’s
loved ones (Alligood, 2017, pp. 55-56). Florence further stipulated that one of the key elements of
‘nursing’ is to care for another person and render care to those who require it (Karlsson &
Pennbrant, 2020, p. 2). Florence also was central into the development of holistic care, however this
concept wasis not as easily achieved. Holistic care can be defined as the evaluating evaluation of a
patient’s “physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual components” (Valizadeh et al., 2017, p.
71). This is to enables the patient to re-establish balance and manage their illnesses (Valizadeh et al.,
2017, p. 71). According to Arnott et al. (2019), recent research has shown that there has been a
reduction in ‘empathy’, recognised as a direct result from the often-stressful nature of nursing (p.
70). Furthermore, Karlsson and Pennbrant (2020) argue the act of caring can be lost as a patient’s
condition becomes more complicated and time constraints arise, balancing especially with limited
staff and resources (p. 1). Galbany-Estragués and Comas-d’Argemir (2017) agree, stating that the
changes in the concept of care are due to a lack of funding, time constraints and an increase in
patient load, has resultinged in a biological focus (p. 364). Evidence indicates that nurses who have
been taught to look at nursing with a biomedical focus, do not practice holistic care effectively
(Valizadeh et al., 2017, p. 71). It is essential that as nurses provide care within a technologically
driven, time constrained dynamic profession, they also continue to practice care holistically as this is
central to nursing distinguishing itself within the medical field and not just being considered
“medical assistants” (Arnott et al., 2019, p. 110; Karlsson & Pennbrant, 2020. p. 5; Valizadeh et al.,
2017, p. 78).

Finally, the misrepresentation of nurses throughout history in various forms of media has negatively
impacted the profession’s identity through the creation of stereotypes. Within Paradoxes in Nurses’
Identity, Culture and Image (2020) McAllister and Brien discuss the complex history associated with
nurses and their identity. They explore how stereotypes and identity has been established through
the earliest forms of information sharing, such as novels and posters, television, and more recently
social media. Although, the professional image of nursing has significantly improved, some
stereotypes within nursing are difficult to get rid of (McAllister & Brien, 2020, p.270). Historically,
nursing has been characterised by gender imbalances and imprecise representations (Kress et al.,
2018, pp. 388-389). This is seen through preconceived ideas portraying nursing as work
predominately done by women, who are secondary to the doctor and are silent background
characters (Arnott et al., 2019, p. 5). Burton (2020) explores how gender can affect the professional
identity of nursing, recognising that “a characteristic of being male is typically linked to being
independent while a characteristic of being female is linked to being dependent” (p. 270).
Subsequently, this affects how seriously the nursing discipline is taken and contributes to a distorted
public perception (Burton, 2020, p. 271). Similarly, McAllister and Brien (2020) discuss how the
image of nurses wasere sexualized throughout various points in history, notibly through the useing
of pin ups, postcards, and calendars during the First and Second World Wars (p. 51). Television and
film media has also contributed to this representation by displaying nurses purely as purely love
interests rather than providing necessary medical care and objects of desire within pornography,
often appearingthis is seen specifically through in the short and tight-fitting clothing often worn
(McAllister and Brien, 2020, pp. 52-61). This can contribute to nurses continuing to play a
subordinate role within the multi-disciplinary team and influence how nurses are not just seen but
how nurse’s view the profession (pp. 52 -61). Hoyle et al. (2017) displays why thethe impact of this
representation of nurses, can be damaging by interviewing nurses within the National Health
Service. The central theme within the article was howemphasises the inaccuracies ofte the media
could be, which oftenonly showing depicts specific information and not the full story. This impacted
patient outcomes, as patients required more reassurance thus the time and work for the nurses who
had to explain their role within the hospital (pp. 6-8). However, The perpetuation of stereotypes and
inaccurate representation have resulted in a professional identity crisis (Hoyle et al., 2017, p. 7). As
Kress et al. (2018) states representation can directly influence a profession’s status and
consequently its “value” (pp. 388-389). The correction of many of these misrepresentations has
contributed to the profesional status of nursing.

To conclude,