Public Perceptions of Nursing Careers: The Influence of the Media and Nursing Shortages, part 2
The public believes Nurse are under paid
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August 06, 2008
Overpaid/underpaid. Perceptions of career compensation were measured with a scale of "overpaid, underpaid, or about right". More than half of Americans believe that nurses are underpaid, although nearly half also indicate they think nurses are paid about right or too much. Of the careers we asked about, the public was more likely to believe that teachers and firefighters are underpaid than believe the same of nurses. There are significant differences by gender (female 55%, male 48%), by age group (people 45-64 are significantly more likely to think nurses are underpaid compared with people either 18-35 or over 65), and by race (White 55% vs. Hispanic 41%). People who believe there is a nursing shortage are more likely than those who do not to perceive that nurses are underpaid (58% vs. 42%). Of interest, there was no difference between health workers and non-health workers. Additionally, people who have seen health television shows are more likely to think nurses are underpaid than people who have not seen such programs (58% vs. 45%), but there was no difference among those who have seen advertisements about nursing and those who have not.
Considered nursing career. Many Americans have considered a nursing career and/or have discussed a career with someone else that was considering it. One in four Americans (25%) indicates that they personally have considered a nursing career (15% of Americans have considered it seriously, 8% not as seriously, and 2% actually are nurses). Among those who did not pursue a career in nursing, the reasons are varied including conflicts of time, commitment, and financial or educational requirement barriers. One in three Americans surveyed (32%) discussed nursing with someone else who was considering the career, whether a family member or friend. Among those who considered the career seriously for themselves, significant differences were observed by gender (more women vs. men), age (young vs. old), income (low income vs. higher), race and ethnicity (minority vs. White). Among those who discussed the career with others, personal experiences of illness were most frequently a factor (46%), though guidance/career counselors (27%), and media (24% news, 20% television shows, 17% advertisements) were also the stimuli for many discussions.
Recommend nursing to others. In our various surveys of health professionals, we asked about the willingness to recommend pursuing nursing and medical careers. The public is significantly more likely to recommend either nursing or a career in medicine to qualified students than are either doctors or nurses. Several bivariate relationships between key demographics and public recommendations of nursing and medical careers were explored. African-American or Black respondents were significantly more likely to advise nursing careers than Whites (94% vs. 89%), middle-aged respondents were more likely than elderly respondents to recommend both careers, and people who watch television shows (such as ER, Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy) were more likely to recommend both careers as compared with people who did not watch these programs.
Discussion
The data in this national survey of the public about nursing demonstrate that the nursing profession is highly respected and that the vast majority of the general public would recommend nursing careers to qualified students. Indeed, one in four Americans has personally considered a career as a nurse, and one in three know someone else who has. The public sees nursing as combining knowledge, skill, and professionalism with caring. These data provide perspective on the public image of nursing. The data also point to a divide between nursing professionals and the public. Health professionals are significantly less likely to "definitely" or "probably" recommend careers in nursing or medicine than is the general public. Nevertheless, a nursing shortage persists, and major future shortages in the United States and abroad are projected. If the profession is so well thought of and so highly recommended, why are there persistent concerns that not enough people are becoming RNs to avoid or at least slow down the development of future shortages?
Our prior surveys point to issues in work environment and respect as major obstacles for nurses in recommending their career to others. Still, one wonders about the environment in which interested candidates might decide not to become a nurse in the face of discouraged nurses. The single biggest influence on conversations about nursing careers is personal experience with nurses as a patient or family members. What are those patients and family members seeing and hearing from nurses about that work environment? Clearly the public is inspired by the positive work that nurses do to provide skilled, caring assistance to those in ill health. These interactions represent a significant opportunity for nurses to inspire the next generation of nurses.
