Julia Hallam considers the 'image' of nursing and how it has been constructed, contributing to the debates surrounding gender and occupational identity.

This book examines some of the more disturbing representations of nurses in popular culture, to understand nursing’s complex identities, challenges and future directions. It critically analyses disquieting representations of nurses who don’t care, who kill, who inspire fear or who do not comply with laws and policies. Also addressed are stories about how power is used, as well as supernatural experiences in nursing. Using a series of examples taken from popular culture ranging from film, television and novels to memoirs and true crime podcasts, it interrogates the meaning of the shadow side of nursing and the underlying paradoxes that influence professional identity. Iconic nursing figures are still powerful today. Decades after they were first created, Ratched and Annie Wilkes continue to make readers and viewers shudder at the prospect of ever being ill. Modern storytelling modes are bringing to audiences the grim reality that some nurses are members of the working poor, like Cath Hardacre in Trust Me, and others can be dangerous con artists, like the nurse in Dirty John. This book is important reading for all those interested in understanding the links between nursing’s image and the profession’s potential as an agent for change.

Ideas of 'nursing' and 'nurses' carry a powerful social charge. The image of the nurse continues to be a symbol of caring and of duty at the same time as it projects a view of femininity, 'stereotypical' in its gender relations. How has this image come to be constructed? An empirical investigation of representations of nursing practices in Britain focusing on publicity and promotional materials and their relationship to popular fictional narratives reveals a strong correlation between what are usually described as discrete forms of signification. Recruitment images, provide an important source of information and inspiration for those considering nurse training. Julia Hallam, draws from a wide range of sources including biographies, marketing and recruitment literature, popular fiction and film to explore this question. In doing so she makes an original contribution to the debates surrounding gender and occupational identity. The book will provide a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students on courses such as the social history of nursing, the understanding of health and illness, women's studies, gender studies and sociology courses.

Ideas of "nursing" and "nurses" carry a powerful social charge. The image of the nurse continues to be a symbol of caring and of duty at the same time as it projects a view of femininity, "stereotypical" in its gender relations. How has this image come to be constructed? An empirical investigation of representations of nursing practices in Britain, focusing on publicity and promotional materials and their relationship to popular fictional narratives, reveals a strong correlation between what are usually described as discrete forms of signification. Recruitment images, the public face of the profession, provide an important source of information and inspiration for those considering nurse training.; Julia Hallam, considers the "image" of nursing and how it has been constructed, contributing to debates surrounding gender and occupational identity, she draws from a wide range of sources including biographies, marketing and recruitment literature, popular fiction (e.g. Mills & Boon) and film (e.g. Carry On films). The book should provide a valuable source for undergraduate and postgraduate students on courses such as the social history of nursing; the understanding of health and illness; women's studies and gender studies; and sociology courses focused on cultural or gendered study of health.

This fully updated and expanded edition of Saving Lives highlights the essential roles nurses play in contemporary health care and how this role is marginalized by contemporary culture. Through engaging prose and examples drawn from television, advertising, and news coverage, the authors detail the media's role in reinforcing stereotypes that fuel the nursing shortage and devalue a highly educated sector of the contemporary workforce. Perhaps most important, the authors provide a wealth of ideas to help reinvigorate the nursing field and correct this imbalance.

Produced in cooperation with the National Association of School Nurses, this text includes comprehensive coverage of the multiple facets of school nursing—from the foundations of practice and the roles and functions of a school nurse through episodic and chronic illness and behavioral issues, to legal issues and leading and managing within school settings. Written and edited by school nurses and pediatric experts, it features real-world-tested, best practices based on evidence and experience. There’s content here that you won’t find in other books, such as health assessments, individualized health plan development, mental health conditions including adolescent depression, contemporary legal issues, and current policy statements essential to school nursing.

Awarded first place in the 2013 AJN Book of the Year Awards in the History and Public Policy category "[This book] leaves experienced nurses with a renewed sense of purpose and urgency Ö For new nurses, the book serves as a reminder that although the work of nursing embodies many forms of technology to assist in the delivery of patient care, it remains vitally important not to forget the importance of the art of nursing, the laying of hands." Score: 86, 3 StarsóDoodyís Medical Reviews "A very interesting read, this book reaffirms why and how nurses provide care and incorporate ethical values and respect for human dignity into professional practice. A useful supplemental resource for nursing curricula."--Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries During this tumultuous period in health care, it can be helpful for both students and practicing nurses to not only look forward to change but to look back at customs that have served nurses well over the years. This text examines a variety of nursing rituals in the context of caring science and evidence-based practice and demonstrates how understanding and incorporation of such rituals can have a transformative effect on contemporary nursing practice. It is written for undergraduate and graduate students, and serves to integrate the liberal arts into nursing education as per AACNís New Essentials of Baccalaureate Education. The text explores the history of nursing rituals and the symbols, meanings, and overall usefulness nursing rituals can convey to the profession today. These rituals--marking the sacred and profane of nursing--serve functions both practical and social and offer a window into the art of nursing that runs beneath the surface. Not only does the book examine rituals that take place in nurse-to-patient direct care situations, in nurse-to-nurse relationships, and those that mark the transitions into the professional nursing role, it also incorporates evidence-based research and an emphasis on caring theory. The book demonstrates how understanding and effective incorporation of these rituals in oneís learning and practice can enhance nursing care. Rituals addressed include those used for bathing patients, pre and postmortem care, ritualistic prevention of medication-related errors, rituals of socialization, and nursing ceremonies. Key Features: Presents a history of nursing rituals and their significance past and present Incorporates evidence-based research and an emphasis on caring theory Demonstrates how understanding and incorporation of nursing rituals can greatly enhance nursing care today Includes rituals for bathing patients, pre and postmortem care, prevention of medication errors, rituals of socialization, and nursing ceremonies Features poems and photographs