The identity of contemporary nursing with a view on the perception of the profession in the public

U posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća zdravstveni sustav doživljava velike strukturne promjene koje zahvaćaju svaki segment i svaku profesiju uključenu posredno ili neposredno u zdravstveni sustav. Sestrinstvo kao a priori pomagačka profesija koja je neophodna u sustavu zdravstva i zajednici, unatoč činjenici da postavlja sve jače temelje u akademskom svijetu, još uvijek ne zauzima visoko mjesto na ljestvici društveno cijenjenih profesija. Upravo iz navedenog razloga, pitanje što je potrebno da bi se takav stav promijenio, nameće se po prirodi stvari. Cilj rada je steći uvid i prikazati percepciju sestrinske profesije sagledanu perspektivom šire društvene zajednice, istražiti na koji način se sestrinska profesija primarno doživljava, što javnost misli o načinu obrazovanja medicinskih sestara/tehničara te kakvi su stavovi javnosti o profesiji sestrinstva. Kreiranjem anketnog upitnika »Percepcija profesije sestrinstva u javnosti«, pomoću online alata za izradu obrazaca i provedbu anketa, dijela online servisa tvrtke Google, provedeno je istraživanje u razdoblju od 22. lipnja do 6. srpnja 2018. na portalu socijalne mreže Facebook. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo ukupno 872 sudionika, raspona dobi od 16 do 69 godina, prosječne dobi od 30,93 godina. Analizirajući rezultate skale stavova o profesiji sestrinstva, pokazalo se kako većina sudionika smatra kako je sestrinstvo cijenjena i nužna profesija u zdravstvu i zajednici, temeljena na zakonu i etičkim načelima. Iako kao primarni cilj bavljenja sestrinstvom, većina sudionika navodi istinski poziv, i dalje se smatra kako je akademsko obrazovanje nužno jer kompetencije stečene srednjoškolskim obrazovanjem više ne udovoljavaju sve većim potrebama današnjih korisnika zdravstvene skrbi i njege. Zanimljivo je kako sudionici ne prave razliku među muškim i ženskim pripadnicima profesije, te doživljavaju sestrinstvo kao profesiju koja je jednako primjerena za oba spola. Iako većina smatra kako je primjerenije da medicinski tehničari rade na odjelima gdje je potrebna fizička snaga, ne isključuju emocionalni angažman koji je, uz tjelesni i umni, nužan za uspješno obavljen sestrinski posao. Uz navedeno, rezultati su pokazali kako većina sudionika ima povjerenje u stručnost i kompetencije pripadnika profesije, ali isto tako da će akademsko obrazovanje još dodatno poboljšati status i prepoznatljivost profesije. Značaj provedenog istraživanja je u njegovom doprinosu sestrinskoj profesiji, na način da se temeljem povratnih informacija stvori temelj koji će poslužiti kao putokaz za proaktivno djelovanje u smjeru jačanja profesionalnog identiteta. Predstavnici sestrinske profesije moraju preuzeti odgovornost i neposredno utjecati na razvoj i jačanje svog društvenog statusa.The healthcare system has been undergoing major structural changes in recent decades, wich has affected all those involved, directly or indirectly in the medical profession. One of these directly affected is the nursing profession. Although nursing is seen primariliy as a helping profession, it is also an indispensable part of the total healthcare system and essential for the well-being of society. Yet, regardless of the fact that it now demands a higher level of education, it is still not considered as prestigious as other professions in the health care system. As a result of this perception of nursing as being below other professions with a higher level of education, the following question arises: „What is necessary to improve the status of nursing, wich is currently perceived as being a calling to that of it being a valued necessity and an integral part of the healthcare system, and thus indispensable to the well-being of the whole community?“. The goal of this thesis is to illustrate how society as a whole, views the nursing profession, to explore primary attitude toward the profession and to show what the public thinks of the adequacy of the education and training of nurses, both medical and as technicians. My research and findings are the result of an Internet based survey from which questions were created pertaining to the above thesis statements. I used links from Google to create the questionnaire, which was conducted in the period between June 22 and July 6, 2018 via the social network Facebook. There were 872 participants ranging in age from 16 to 69 with a mean age of 30,93. The basic results of the questionnaire and survey regarding the nursing profession illustrated that most participants appreciate nursing, consider it as an honorable and necessary part of healthcare and the community based on specific laws, as well as ethical principles. Regardless of the fact that most participants felt that nursing was a calling, most also felt that a higher level of education was necessary, and thought that a high school education does not meet the requirements nor does it prepare one to provide quality medical care to their patients. An additinal and secondary finding was the fact that the participants did not differentiate between male or female caretakers and felt nursing was an acceptable profession for both males and females. The majority opinion though, was that they felt a male nurse was preferred where physical strenght was necessary, altough, emotional support was also deemed as an integral part of quality care. In conclusion, the results have shown that most participants in the survey have great confidence in the professionalism and competency of the nursin staff in the healthcare system. Nevertheless, the conclusion can be made that healthcare personnels training and education should continue after high school, and should include at minimuj three more years of education, and ideally a university degree. This would greatly improve the reputation and standings of the nursing profession. The significance of this survey is that these findings can serve as the basis for a proactive quideline to strengthen the image of the nursing profession. Consequently, it is up to those that represent the nursing profession to take the responsibility in order to significantly influence the development and the strengthening of their social status by furthering and demanding more and better academic opportunities