Why nursing is undervalued – and how to challenge perceptions

Flawed images of nursing roles are common and they undermine the profession. Find out how you can articulate the safety critical nature of the job

• Outdated sexist stereotypes can undermine the profession, and even impact on whether nurses are seen as leaders
• Nurses can undervalue their own work by using passive language to describe it and not articulating the scope of the job
• Research highlights the difference that nursing makes to patient safety, learn to spotlight what you do with active phrases and through engaging others

Have you ever said you are ‘just a nurse’, described some ‘basic care’ or attributed your work to the rest of your team?