The term social perception is used to describe a phenomenon whereby individual’s perceptions of other members within society are compiled to create a collective opinion, otherwise known as the lay perspective (Zebrowski, 2007). The lay perspective allows social groups to make sense of their individual experiences and structure their lives through rules and regulations that are obtained from this. This essay will discuss the social perception of nursing in today’s society, and factors which influence its development.
Prior to the nineteenth century, nursing was considered to be a job role which required little education, constituting of domestic work, such as cleaning and feeding others. Tasks such as these were considered to be the work of …show more content…
Due to this change, nurses were no longer recruited from the lower classes, and Miers (2003) states that nursing sub sequentially became a higher class profession.
Beginning in 2013, all new nurses had to achieve a degree level qualification, rather than a diploma, which had previously been acceptable. This recognised the importance of educational learning as well as practical, and became the new standard set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The NMC is responsible for providing set legislation for registered nurses to work under, and also regulates nurses who are practicing within the UK.
Statistics gathered from the Royal College of Nursing Review (2014) found that out of these nurses practicing in the UK, around 90% of registered nurses and 80% of the nursing auxiliaries and assistants were female. Due to the large number of females contributing to the nursing work force, there is a social perception that the role …show more content…
The media often picks up on these cases, and so it is widely and heavily publicised. The Mid Staffordshire scandal is an example of this. Mid Staffordshire hospital was run by the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, and was inspected due to its high mortality rates, and once inspected, it found a poor quality of care was provided by staff, and privacy and dignity being denied, even in death (Francis, 2013). After several NMC hearings, many of the nurses who worked at Mid Staffordshire were deemed unfit to practice. Walters and Doult (2009) reported in a journal for the Nursing Standard that following the surfacing of this in the press, there was an increase in verbal abuse and aggression from patients and relatives towards nurses working in NHS Trust’s, and they felt it had licensed people to be rude towards the staff. The Francis Report which followed and reported this scandal clearly outlined and investigated how and why the malpractice at Mid Staffordshire had occurred. Some suggestions provided to prevent a situation such as this occurring in the future included an encouragement of openness within the NHS, and it was advised that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) should undertake more thorough inspection in the
Prior to the nineteenth century, nursing was considered to be a job role which required little education, constituting of domestic work, such as cleaning and feeding others. Tasks such as these were considered to be the work of …show more content…
Due to this change, nurses were no longer recruited from the lower classes, and Miers (2003) states that nursing sub sequentially became a higher class profession.
Beginning in 2013, all new nurses had to achieve a degree level qualification, rather than a diploma, which had previously been acceptable. This recognised the importance of educational learning as well as practical, and became the new standard set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The NMC is responsible for providing set legislation for registered nurses to work under, and also regulates nurses who are practicing within the UK.
Statistics gathered from the Royal College of Nursing Review (2014) found that out of these nurses practicing in the UK, around 90% of registered nurses and 80% of the nursing auxiliaries and assistants were female. Due to the large number of females contributing to the nursing work force, there is a social perception that the role …show more content…
The media often picks up on these cases, and so it is widely and heavily publicised. The Mid Staffordshire scandal is an example of this. Mid Staffordshire hospital was run by the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, and was inspected due to its high mortality rates, and once inspected, it found a poor quality of care was provided by staff, and privacy and dignity being denied, even in death (Francis, 2013). After several NMC hearings, many of the nurses who worked at Mid Staffordshire were deemed unfit to practice. Walters and Doult (2009) reported in a journal for the Nursing Standard that following the surfacing of this in the press, there was an increase in verbal abuse and aggression from patients and relatives towards nurses working in NHS Trust’s, and they felt it had licensed people to be rude towards the staff. The Francis Report which followed and reported this scandal clearly outlined and investigated how and why the malpractice at Mid Staffordshire had occurred. Some suggestions provided to prevent a situation such as this occurring in the future included an encouragement of openness within the NHS, and it was advised that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) should undertake more thorough inspection in the