This essay will explore how nurses, specifically those working in mental health, are portrayed by a wide range of different people. It will look at how the perception of nurses has changed over time, evaluating different opinions. These opinions include those of service users, other health care professionals and the general public. The views of the general public link closely with how nurses are portrayed in the media, as the majority of these people haven’t had any firsthand experience with mental health nurses.
The word nursing originally meant ‘to nourish’. Therefore, it is clear to see that nursing was set up as a caring and supportive role. Alongside this, the word psychotherapy originated from the ‘healing of the soul’. (Phil Barker …show more content…
One comparison made between them is that mental health nurses don’t get the same recognition and respect as psychiatrists. (Inga Heyman, 2006). For example, De Carlo (2007) states that in films, mental health nurses are portrayed as ‘unquestioning obedient servant(s)’, ‘mincing queen(s)’ and not doing anything worthwhile. This is while psychiatrists are seen as ‘brilliant, humane and invariably caring’ (Barker P, 2008). This gives a negative perception to mental health nurses, as people doubt the work they do, and question why they are used to support …show more content…
The participants talked about how they had new skills and techniques to support themselves and improve their mental health. Whilst it does not explicitly say that these techniques were taught by mental health nurses, all patients work closely with them, perhaps alongside other professionals. It is likely that nurses had a big impact on the improvements observed, due to their caring and holistic
The word nursing originally meant ‘to nourish’. Therefore, it is clear to see that nursing was set up as a caring and supportive role. Alongside this, the word psychotherapy originated from the ‘healing of the soul’. (Phil Barker …show more content…
One comparison made between them is that mental health nurses don’t get the same recognition and respect as psychiatrists. (Inga Heyman, 2006). For example, De Carlo (2007) states that in films, mental health nurses are portrayed as ‘unquestioning obedient servant(s)’, ‘mincing queen(s)’ and not doing anything worthwhile. This is while psychiatrists are seen as ‘brilliant, humane and invariably caring’ (Barker P, 2008). This gives a negative perception to mental health nurses, as people doubt the work they do, and question why they are used to support …show more content…
The participants talked about how they had new skills and techniques to support themselves and improve their mental health. Whilst it does not explicitly say that these techniques were taught by mental health nurses, all patients work closely with them, perhaps alongside other professionals. It is likely that nurses had a big impact on the improvements observed, due to their caring and holistic