The impact of COVID-19 on the social image of Nursing

Objective: to describe the current perception of Nursing by society, and to understand how the representation of the Nursing profession in the social consciousness has changed with the healthcare emergency scenario of COVID-19. Method: a descriptive cross-sectional study in the overall population andhealthcare professionals, recruitedthroughnonprobabilistic sampling (the sample size achieved, n= 1.109, delivered absolute accuracy of 2,94%), through a questionnaire designed ad hoc. Results: Nursing was considered a profession devoted to care andessentialwithin the healthcare system (83.7%), butwithlow socialrecognition (53.8%), underpaid (48.4%)and perceivedas a high-risk profession (93.3%). These professionals were considered to have university degree education (84.8%), and their most outstanding quality was knowledge (85.2%). The stereotype profile was a woman (92.8%), middle-aged (53.9%), wearing sanitary "pyjamas” (85.3%). 52.4% of the sample believed that the COVID-19 pandemic had changed their perception of Nursing;the importance of these professionals was acknowledged, andtheir performance was valued positively, inspiring feelings of admiration and respect towards them. Conclusions: Nursing has been considered a profession devotedto care andessentialwithin the healthcare system, but with low social recognition, underpaid, and perceived as a high-risk profession. The healthcare emergency experience has given visibility to nursing care. There has been a positive impact by the COVID-19 pandemic upon the social image of Nursing, revaluing it as a profession. © 2022 DAE Editorial, Grupo Paradigma. All rights reserved.

Superheroes or Super Spreaders? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Attitudes towards Nurses: A Qualitative Study from Poland.

The social perception of the nursing profession in Poland is profoundly affected by social stereotypes that may discourage young people from entering the profession and lead to prejudice towards nurses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses gained visibility, which caused the social image of nurses to likewise grow. In this study, we explore nurses' experiences with respect to how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the social image of nursing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen hospital nurses. Three major themes emerged: (1) social attitudes towards nurses during the pandemic, (2) nurses' perception of the impact of the pandemic on the social image of the nursing profession and (3) the impact of the pandemic on nurses' mental health. Although the pandemic promoted the image of nursing to the general public, nurses were disappointed that in the face of the healthcare crisis and the constant threat, they had to struggle with difficult working conditions and professional, social and economic recognition. This study therefore stresses the duty of policy makers to undertake a systemic approach to improving the organisation of health care and increase nurses' safety by providing them with a safe working environment and prepare them better for the next health crisis.

Construction of nursing professional image during the Covid-19 pandemic through press news

Objective: Describe the image of nursing during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic through the generalist and specialized written press. Methods: Descriptive qualitative documentary study, analysis carried out under Moscovici's theory. 95 news items published from March 15 to May 15 were selected. Articles that made specific references to nurses or dealt with health personnel in general were discarded. In a second selection phase, 36 news from the general press and 40 from the specialized press were included for the analysis. Data were extracted taking into account 8 indicators: verbal language, images, degree of importance and dissemination of the information, scope, people involved, why the information transcends, identification of judgments by the authors and elements of social construction. Results: General press: 94.5% journalistic language compared to 5.5% scientific-informative. Majority use of masculine, focused on care activity. The main emerging categories were: field of work/profession (43.75%), context/environment (34.71%), emotions (13.88%) and knowledge patterns (7.64%). Conclusions: The news published in the general press incorporates a reductionist view of the nurse regarding their professional performance, although they give it great social value. It is necessary to achieve recognition of the autonomous role as well as the visibility of all fields of action. It is evidenced as a necessary resource, as well as scarce, for the viability of the health system and the care of the population. © 2022, Fundacion Index. All rights reserved.

Older Women Images and Technologies to Increase Gender Peace in Crisis and COVID-19 Times

The violence - without the apparent “Gender Peace”, if data and households are examined - occurs against adult and older women, is beginning to become apparent, but there is only information from recent years. The objective is demonstrate that social isolation can be a key factor in gender peace in the case of adult and older women, even more so in the case of disability or dependency situation. This work focuses on what we call older women gender peace based on qualitative techniques. Moreover, women in this vital stage continue to be vulnerable, defenseless, have more fear and risk, despite their plausible gender peace – expression that we contribute - which connects with the current post-health crisis scenario, armed violence and wars. This chapter also contributes to the consideration of technologies addressed to adults and older women to increase gender peace. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.