The Progress and Improvement of the Practice of Nursing - Essay Example

Case (pictorial) analysis Nursing is one of the most essential and noble professions in the world which has improved its position and relevance over the course of human history. In this paper, an analysis of the 3 cases with regard to the consequence the nursing profession, through the method of pictorial analysis is carried out. Thus, the study undertakes an analysis of the three important pictures which have great bearing in the contemporary nursing practice. Each of the pictures selected has an important case to point out and these cases are of great importance to nursing practice in the recent stage. Therefore, the project undertakes an analysis of the following three images of nursing – Image 1: from early 20th Century, Image 2: Are you man enough to be a nurse poster, and Image 3: from Wright, S 2004 Deconstructing nursing: from practice to theory Nursing Standard 18, (52) 14 -18. The first image selected is that of Nancy de Vries, an Aboriginal from Australia who has fought unremittingly for her rights for the nursing profession. “As a young adult, de Vries rejected the advice of hospital authorities that the only position open to Aboriginal women was that of a ward maid and she became an enrolled nurse, working night shifts while raising three young children... In 1988, at 56, de Vries became one of the first Aboriginal nursing graduates from the University of Western Sydney as well as completing a major, with straight high distinctions, in Aboriginal studies. She became a valued guest lecturer, capable of bringing an audience to the point of tears one second and roaring with laughter the next.” (Against all odds: A huge contributor, Nancy de Vries 1932 – 2006). Therefore, the first image in this analysis is the picture showing Nancy de Vries who was an important figure in the Australian nursing profession and practice. It has several similarities in comparison to the other two images of this pictorial analysis. The second image is the poster of ‘Are you man enough to be a nurse’ which raise serious thoughts concerning the profession of nursing as a great professional option to the males. The third image is the picture of Stephen Wright who is pictured with Kerri Tweddle, Sister Clare McKenzie, and Niamh Hunt (i.e. 3c) which is from Wright’s “Deconstructing nursing: from practice to theory,” published in Nursing Standard 18, (52) 14 -18, 2004. This paper undertakes these three images in order to identify the major issues they put forward, demonstrate historically the change of issues within the three pictures, and to illustrate the progression or non-progression of issues between the picture under discussion. The first image under discussion, the picture of Nancy de Vries, who has led a crucial struggle to unite the Aboriginal families in Australia, offers one of the most essential cases to consider in the contemporary world of nursing practice. It is the image of Nancy de Vries who has worked against all the odds of life and made a valuable impression about the profession of nursing. The image makes one reflect on the story of Nancy de Vries who was taken from her Aboriginal mother when she was 14 months old and placed in state care. It is due to the assistance and advantages of the nursing profession that she, at the age of 55, was able to reunite with her mother Ruby Edwards. Though the mother and daughter were able to spend only 10 hours together before Ruby died, Nancy de Vries feels greatly privileged to have found her mother. De Vries’s nursing career started as a young adult when she rejected the advice of hospital authorities that the only position open to Aboriginal women was that of a ward maid and became an enrolled nurse working night shifts. Nancy de Vries proved that the Aboriginals also become practicing nurses when she became one of the first Aboriginal nursing graduates from the University of Western Sydney straight high distinctions in Aboriginal studies in the year 1988. As a valued guest lecturer, she was able to bring an audience to the point of tears one second and roaring with laughter the next. The image under analysis points out the quality of her lectures with vibrant movements and ardent style that capture the attention of the audience. “After graduation, de Vries ran the Aboriginal Medical Service at Brewarrina before returning to Sydney to work in drug and alcohol rehabilitation nursing at Wisteria House. Few nursing colleagues realised that the humble woman sat on the NSW Nurses Registration Board. Having joined the Aboriginal organisation Link-Up, which helped her to find her mother, de Vries also spent years on the organisation’s executive, actively working to reunite other Aboriginal families. In 1997 she spoke on behalf of stolen generations when the NSW Parliament delivered its response to the findings of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity report Bringing Them Home.” (Against all odds: A huge contributor, Nancy de Vries 1932 – 2006). Thus, the image under discussion illustrates the role of this Aboriginal nurse who has brought tremendous esteem to both the profession and her community. Accordingly, the image suggests the individual case of Nancy de Vries who was a victim of the racial distinction in nursing profession. Besides the Queen, she was the first non-elected woman to address the house and she described her miserable loneliness as a child. According to her she had a very despondent childhood and she was forced to live with people who always considered the Aboriginal people as backward and useless people. Thus, the first image under discussion refers to the miserable plight of an Aboriginal Australian female who led an important struggle for justice in nursing profession. “While authorities thought her running away from various homes was a behavioural problem, de Vries said she was searching for her family, her identity. When she finally found Ruby, the mother could not relate to her daughter… Officially recognised for her community leadership by the Liverpool City Council in its 2003 Australia Day celebrations, de Vries continued to give public addresses and was a member of the council’s Aboriginal Consultative Committee.” (Against all odds: A huge contributor, Nancy de Vries 1932 – 2006). The second image under analysis, the poster “Are you man enough to be a nurse”, point to another crucial topic of discussion in nursing in the contemporary practice. (Are you man enough to be a nurse?). The image represents one of the most important efforts by the Oregon Centre for Nursing to bring more men into the profession of nursing. The image represents the marketing messages of the company and it had an important role in changing the public image of men as nurses. The strategy introduced in the making of this image was effective to capture the attention of the audience and to convey the message of the company. “First, practicing male nurses were recruited who (a) embodied stereotypic male characteristics (athletic prowess, masculine avocations, and military accomplishments); (b) looked stereotypically male; (c) chose nursing and loved their nursing role; (d) represented a wide range of ethnicities, ages, and nursing practice roles; (e) could articulate the fact that being male was very compatible with their nursing role and that they were very satisfied with their chosen career. Next, a theme that would captivate attention had to be selected. ‘Are You Man Enough to Be a Nurse?’ seemed the perfect theme.” (O’Lynn and Tranbarger 2006, P. 261). The effective visual image of men as nurses also provided a significant attraction of the picture and the visual effects selected by the communications consultant and the photographer offered an image of a strong, powerful, caring, self-assured, confident, smart, technically astute, and very masculine figure in the setting of a male nurse. In order to advance a powerful and masculine message through the poster, the photographer provided black and white photography and allowed the men to smile. The image turned out to be a great success celebrating the message it conveyed. “The campaign passed a marketing litmus test when a draft was presented to members of the targeted adolescent male audience. When asked for their reactions, their consistent response was, ‘No way are those guys nurses!’ The poster had hit the mark… Obviously, it got attention.” (O’Lynn and Tranbarger 2006, P. 261). Therefore, the image under discussion proved to be a great success and it conveyed a great message suggesting the importance of equality of sex and race in the profession of nursing. The third image under consideration, i.e. the picture (3c) of Stephen Wright, which he pictured with Kerri Tweddle, Sister Clare McKenzie, and Niamh Hunt, has a great bearing on nursing practice as it gives a good picture of how the practice can make the best and the most effective results. The image 3c rightly justifies the observation of Stephen Wright who suggested that “this is nursing that has moved from the narrow confines of procedure into artistry.” (Wright 2004, P. 16). The image of a middle-aged, male professor in the midst of three female nurses, creatively engaged in discussions of serious type provides the changes and transformation of the practice of profession. Therefore, the image 3c from “Deconstructing nursing: from practice to theory” not only suggests the improvement in the status of the nurses in practice, but also point to the historical progress and development in popularity of the nursing practice. In conclusion, the three images in this pictorial analysis have several elements in common and they also suggest the progress and improvement of the practice of nursing. All the three pictures illustrated some of the most essential issues at hand in nursing practice. The first image demonstrated how the racial issues concerning the Aboriginal nurses in practice in Australia and it depicted the picture of an important campaign for the racial and sexual equality of the nurses in practice. Similarly, the second image in the poster of the ‘Are you man enough to be a nurse’ also depicted the major issues concerning males coming to the practice of nursing. The picture had an important role in suggesting the need of more males coming to serve as nurses in practice and it was a major development in the historical growth of the practice of nursing. The final image in the article by Wright points to the progress in the practice of nursing and here the importance of males and females joining hands for the better glory of the profession is categorically illustrated. Bibliography “Against all odds: A huge contributor, Nancy de Vries 1932 – 2006.” nmb: update November 2006. “Are you man enough to be a nurse?” [online]. Poster. Last Accessed 14 May 2009 at: http://www.oregoncenterfornursing.org/documents/poster_67k.jpg O’LYNN, Chad E. and TRANBARGER, Russell E. (2006). Men in Nursing: History, Challenges, and Opportunities. Springer Publishing Company. P. 261. Wright, S. (2004). “Deconstructing Nursing: From Practice to Theory.” Nursing the Future. Nursing Standard. 8 (52). P. 16. Read More