Critiquing Peer Trend, Essay Example

The Nursing Uniform: Professional Look or Outdated Symbolism?

This paper discusses the history of uniforms in the nursing profession, paying special attention to the symbolic power of the nursing uniform.  According to the paper, the trend in nurses’ uniforms acts as a reflection of the changing role of nurses.  Uniforms were historically used to demonstrate the connection that nurses had with religious orders.  They were also used to suggest at various historical times the servitude, respectability, and moral decency of the wearer.  The stereotypical white uniform fashionable after WWII was popular, in part, due to its association with cleanliness and sterility.  Modern opinions on the importance of a uniform for nurses can be controversial, with some parties arguing that patients feel more comfortable when they see a nurse in a traditional uniform and others arguing that business attire may be more appropriate given that many nurses no longer come into contact with patients on a daily basis.  The author argues that this trend is based on how nurses wish to be defined by those that they come into contact with.  Because of this, future trends indicate that nurses will continue to wear uniforms due to the strong association between uniforms and professionalism, competence, and power.

Canada’s Nursing Shortage:  The Trend, The Action, and What Remains

This paper examines the trend in nursing shortages from the 1990s to the present day.  Factors that contribute to this trend include an increasing demand for nurses due to an ageing population, an ageing nursing workforce, and a lack of new nursing recruits to replace those nurses lost to retirement and other forces.  This trend is compounded by the loss of nurses to outmigration, which sees nurses leaving Canada for opportunities in other countries, especially the United States.  The essay pinpoints a lack of job satisfaction and poor working conditions as primary reasons why nurses seek employment outside of Canada.  Many major steps are being taken to combat the nursing shortage in Canada, including improving educational opportunities, professional advancement opportunities, and the overall workplace environment.  The author suggests that such strategies have already begun to have an effect on curbing the shortage of Canadian nurses, as demonstrated by recent increases in nursing school graduates.  Collaborative efforts between all health care professionals will also help to address this trend, primarily by improving the overall health of patients and creating conditions that are conducive to attracting and retaining a competent nursing workforce.  While the nursing shortage has not worsened over the last decade, it has not been completely addressed either.  According to the author, the actions begun by policy members and health care professionals must continue in order to ensure that there are enough nurses to meet the needs of the growing Canadian population.

Length of Stay in Hospital Decreasing for Mental Health Consumers in Canada

This paper examines the trend towards deinstitutionalizing mental health consumers and the resulting shortened length of hospital stays for such patients.  The author provides a historical overview of the hospitalization of the mentally ill beginning in 1850 in order to demonstrate the manner in which this trend has shifted alongside perceptions of the mentally ill and psychiatric medicine.  The deinstitutionalization movement that began in the 1950s was driven primarily by cost concerns and changing beliefs concerning the treatment practices of mental health consumers.  This trend resulted in an increased reliance on community-based health care for the mentally ill, illustrating a growing belief that those in need of mental health care belong in the community rather than isolated within hospitals and institutions.  The author suggests that there are both positive and negative aspects to this trend, including a greater level of respect and autonomy for mental health consumers and the challenges that come with placing a greater burden of care on community-based health care.  According to the author, the length of hospital stays for the mentally ill are expected to plateau over the next several years as further research is conducted to strengthen the support network available for those in need of psychiatric services.