Nurses constitute the largest group of health professionals, they possess a diverse skill set and continue to be highly sought after in various settings, including hospitals and acute care, schools, primary care, public health, academia, policy and research. In recent years, the healthcare landscape has undergone significant transformations, influenced by technological advances, evolving patient expectations and a global focus on health crises. With these changes, the nursing profession is experiencing a decisive moment: the need for rebranding. Rebranding nursing is not merely about altering public perception but involves redefining roles, enhancing visibility and embracing innovation to meet contemporary healthcare demands.
Nursing, historically viewed through the lens of traditional roles, has often been undervalued. The portrayal of nurses as mere assistants to doctors, rather than as autonomous professionals with a unique and essential skill set, has doggedly persisted – undermining the extensive education, expertise and responsibilities that contemporary nurses embody.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital role of nurses, showcasing resilience, adaptability and their essential contributions to patient care. Despite this, most people still do not fully understand the role of nursing – including many organisations that employ nurses. There is a pressing need for strategic initiatives to redefine nursing's brand image. Such efforts must address the disparity between the current portrayal of nursing and its multifaceted scope, encompassing clinical expertise, leadership and advocacy.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is attempting to address the disparity as it endeavours to bring everyone together in one place. It has revised a 20-year-old definition of nursing and published new principles of nursing (RCN, 2024). This is an important step as it reflects the changes and also the increased complexity that the profession has seen over the last two decades. Meanwhile, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2024) is undertaking a review of advanced practice as it acknowledges that experienced nurses across the country are increasingly taking on complex, autonomous and expert roles that are often referred to as ‘advanced practice’.
Overcoming barriers to the full recognition of nursing's role requires a concerted effort from both the profession and society at large. This includes raising awareness of the diverse responsibilities and contributions of nurses, fostering partnerships with policymakers and healthcare organisations and advocating for the integration of nursing expertise in decision-making processes.
Nurses have a significant role to play in decision-making processes within the healthcare system, holding influential positions in these structures. We must be involved in the important choices regarding healthcare policies, practices and resource allocation as leaders and key decision-makers, rather than being relegated to subordinate roles. We should not be accepting or agreeing to marginal involvement or token representation, instead, we must assert our right to meaningful participation and leadership, ensuring that our substantial perspectives, our wealth of expertise and priorities are fully considered and respected as we advance our leadership roles and drive meaningful change in our profession and beyond.
Rebranding nursing is a multifaceted endeavour that necessitates proactive measures to align public perception with the evolving realities of the profession. Until nursing controls its own message, it will not control its own image (Godsey and Hayes, 2023). Our profession needs to take ownership of the way we present ourselves to the public and other stakeholders. Currently the narrative surrounding nursing is influenced and controlled by external factors rather than our profession itself. To truly shape how nursing is perceived, we need to actively manage and communicate our own message, rather than permitting others to define it for us.