How the public perceives the "good nurse" in China: A content analysis of national newspapers.

Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 100911591 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1547-5069 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 15276546 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Nurs Scholarsh Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: Hoboken, NJ : Wiley
Original Publication: Indianapolis, IN : Sigma Theta Tau International, 2000-

Mass Media* ; Nursing Research*; Humans ; Professional Role ; China ; Learning

Introduction: Newspapers are a predominant channel through which the Chinese public learns about nurses and the nursing profession. However, little nursing research has been performed in China to investigate the newspaper portrayal of nurses, and how the public perceives the role of nurses in the Chinese context is still an ambiguous phenomenon. This study aimed to clarify the public portrayals of nurses in China, and to analyze whether there are changes over time in news content related to nurses in the national newspapers.
Design: A content analysis of the newspaper articles citing nurses that have been published since each newspaper was established.
Method: We selected two national daily newspapers as sources to systematically search for articles about nurses from 1949 to 2022. A coding instrument was developed to quantitatively extract the contents of the articles identified. Then, using a mixed methods approach, we analyzed newspaper content to show the roles of nurses presented to the public by the media.
Results: A total of 317 articles were analyzed. Nurses have been depicted with heterogeneous images in both newspapers with positive wordings and up to 28 types of public images. More than half of the articles portrayed two, three, or more types of images. Among the images of nurses identified, "overworked" appeared the most frequently, followed by "dedicated," "philanthropic and benevolent," and "with a sense of responsibility," and then "technically skilled." By analyzing the image of nurses in both newspapers over time, we found that images related to virtue have largely increased with time, while images about professionalism have decreased.
Conclusion: Nursing continues to be depicted as a virtuous caregiving profession, often forgetting the wide need for knowledge, skill, and expertise required in the occupation. The public image of nurses portrayed in the national newspapers does not accurately match their actual roles.
Clinical Relevance: The public image of nurses portrayed in the national newspapers does not accurately match their actual roles. To actualize a professional role and increase social status of nurses, intentional image management is needed. Nursing schools, nursing associations, and nursing professionals should be more proactive in overcoming the stereotypical image portrayed of them and use the news media as a tool to invite attention from and dialogue with the public about the value of nursing to reframe the public's understanding of the expert role of the professional nurse in health care and to create a new and more professional image for nursing.
(© 2023 Sigma Theta Tau International.)

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22692109400 Science and Technology Innovation Plan Of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission

Keywords: content analysis; newspapers; nurses; public image

Date Created: 20230823 Date Completed: 20240118 Latest Revision: 20240614

20240614

10.1111/jnu.12928

37608546