Watch a television show or movie that portrays working nurses as main characters. Reflect on the image of nursing presented in the media.

Submit a 2-3 page reflection paper(double space, 12 Times New Roman font). Include an APA citation (IN-TEXT AND REFERENCE) for the television show or movie you used. You may find the following questions useful as you evaluate your media source:

• Was nursing portrayed realistically?
• Was clothing worn realistic for the time?
• Were nurses portrayed as intelligent? As educated? How did they compare to other characters with regard to intelligence and education?
• Were minorities, including men, represented proportionately to the number practicing today?
• How did the other characters respond, or interact, with the nurses? Was there a collegial working relationship?
• Did the nurses themselves model professional behaviors with other characters?
• Do you think this show or movie would add value in recruitment of nursing students?
• How do you think the image of nurses and the nursing profession was portrayed?
• How does this impact the public perception/image of nurses?
• Compare/contrast the Hollywood nurse to one of the nurses in the American Nurse film.

How Nurses are Portrayed in Film and Television (Links to an external site.)

Reaction Paper/Reflective Essay

A reflective essay is a piece of writing that basically involves your views and feelings about a particular subject. The goal of a reflective essay is to not only discuss what you learned, but to convey the personal experiences and findings that resulted.

Significance

Writing a reflective essay is your chance to reveal and talk about your personal insight about a topic. Reflective essays are used as a self-assessment measure of sorts; they allow you to address your experiences and what you’ve gained. You may be asked to write a reflective essay after taking a course, completing a project or partaking in some type of experience. The reflective essay consists of your individual views on the matter and an explanation of your stance. The goal of this essay is to successfully relay your own beliefs, attitudes and observations. In some reflective essays, you’ll be required to support your conclusions by citing materials such as books, journals, articles and other resources. A reflective essay should reflect your own thoughts on the subject matter, not those of others.

Function

A reflective essay concentrates on your ideas and reflections about a topic; however you want to show your readers why the points you are making are valid. To do so, the information that led to your conclusions should be included in the paper. Having references adds to your credibility and will illustrate to your audience that your findings result from both facts and personal experience. A good reflective essay includes an insightful interpretation of the matter at hand. The feelings and experiences that you write about in the essay should be based on your own perception and showcase to the readers why your revelation is significant on a larger scale. The essay should communicate both the importance of the topic as well your consideration of it.