evolution of the nurse stereotype. It was in the 1920?s when real-life photos were becoming popular and used as po

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I selected the event when women became the figure of nursing. It is based on the evolution of the nurse stereotype. It was in the 1920’s when real-life photos were becoming popular and used as postcards. This failed to show the truth of what these nurses went through during this time. The postcard photos were typically neat and clean and sometimes even showed a pin-up version of nursing. I think it would be cool to see the postcards that were sent back then, especially what was written on the backs of them. During this time, men were portrayed as the handsome doctors or super strong military men (Thompson, 2014). It’s interesting because the nurses were at the forefront of illness and injuries, which makes them brave souls. The typical nurse was seen as a white, christian woman which wasn't always the case. A lot of this changed during the turn of the century when nurses were saving lives during WWII, this change their perception of nurses being “sexy” to being more heroic.

This event has impacted todays nursing tremendously in the fact that nursing is a profession and can quickly become taxing on the body, mind, and spirit if not taken seriously. We are now inclusive all people in the nursing role and do not restrict people from any culture, race, religion, or class from joining this profession. The image of nursing today is more respective than it was in the 1950’s. Back then nurses were portrayed as being “sexy” rather than being smart, brave, and innovative. Over time they were able to get more respect for their selflessness, “…taking more account of the fact that nursing work was carried out in a series of different spaces and by a diverse range of women of different backgrounds and nationalities: at hospitals at home as well as overseas, and on all fronts. (Fell, 2018)” To get to this point in time, nurses from that era had to fight and continuously prove their worth by caring for and saving the lives of many. The media is more accessible, and it can sway the way people view the nursing profession. Back in the 1950’s the nurses photographed wearing white flowing dresses and stood in hospitals with clean surroundings. This made the public view nursing as a safe and clean job whereas in real life they were at the forefronts and battlegrounds caring for the most injured and ill. “Such stereotypes necessarily fail to account for the diversity and range of nurses’ activities, attitudes and experiences during the war (Fell, 2018).