PPN101 Week 1 Notes: History, Image, and Professional Practice
PPN101 Week 1 Notes: History, Image, and Professional Practice
Course Context and Purpose
An exploration of self and the nursing profession in the context of health care
An examination of the historical, cultural, political, economic and gendered context of nursing
An introduction to the ethical and legal aspects of nursing
An introduction to comprehensive understandings of the nursing profession and relational practice
Course Learning Outcomes
Relate the personal and professional self to the nurse’s role.
Interpret the nursing process and nursing frameworks.
Examine the ethical and legal obligations of the nurse.
Critique the historical image of nursing.
Explore the gendered, political and economic nature of nursing.
Understand the historical, societal and environmental context of Indigenous health in Canada.
Important Resources & Information
Syllabus
Textbooks and Electronic Resources / E-reserves
Methods of evaluation (details on the next slide)
Turnitin
Learning resources
Class expectations
Rubrics
Weekly planner
Student handbook
Course Evaluations
Quiz #1: Short answer questions — , Week 5
Presentation: Group Presentation — , Week 8
Quiz #2: Multiple choice — , Week 9
Final Exam: Multiple choice — , Exam period
Total:
Introduction to eCentennial (D2L)
What is D2L? Desire to Learn (D2L)
How will we use it in PPN101
What are your responsibilities?
How do you access D2L?
Fall 2025 Classroom Learning Strategies
Site-specific strategies, guidelines and plans
Reflection on what worked in the past
Instructor & Contact
Professor: Andy Mok, RN, MN, RN Prescriber
Office Hours: By appointment only
Email: yan.mok@torontomu.ca
Individual appointments available upon request via e-mail, Zoom and/or phone
Getting Acquainted
Student & Instructor Expectations
Visual prompt: "wow, you / DID THAT?? EXCEED EXPECTATIONS, INCLUDING YOUR OWN." (emphasizes striving for high expectations)
Week 1 Objectives
Become familiar with and learn how to use the Student Handbook and PPN101 Syllabus to enhance learning.
Introduce nursing as a profession. Describe nursing professionalism.
Discuss nurse pioneers and their diverse contributions to the profession of nursing.
Discuss public images and contemporary views of nursing and how they have been influenced by social, economic and political factors.
Identify strategies to support an accurate, positive and inclusive image of nursing as a professional career.
Getting to Know the Collaborative Handbook and Syllabus
Go online (D2L) to retrieve the Handbook and Syllabus. Use both documents to answer the following questions:
1) What philosophical beliefs are foundational to the Collaborative Nursing Degree Program? (discussed in detail next week)
2) What are the curriculum content themes, years one to four?
3) What is Academic Integrity? What are some examples of academic misconduct?
4) Why are scholarly assignments important in a nursing program?
5) How would you describe a B+ paper submission?
6) What kind of learning resources are available to you at the University/College?
Nursing as a Profession
Nursing is:
a practice discipline
a self-regulated profession
the maintenance of competencies such as knowledge and skills to guide evidence-informed decision making in practice
accountable to the public through writing a licensing or registration exam upon graduation of the nursing program
guided by CNA and provincial and territorial regulatory code of ethics, nursing standards, best practice, research and laws and regulation that guide practice
Source: Mallette & Young, 2022, p. 7
Nursing Professionalism: Attributes
Knowledge
Accountability
Autonomy
Self-regulation
Inquiry
Collegiality
Collaboration
Innovation
Ethics
Values
Source: Mallette & Young, 2022, p. 7
Reflective Prompt
When you think of nursing/nurses today, what do you think of? (prompt for reflection)
Historical Images of Nursing
Slogan: "Yesterday. Today. Forever."
Notable visual prompts include: "Nurses Are Needed Now!"; Army Nurse Corps imagery; messages like "Thank you for being a nurse"; references to historical and wartime roles
Question posed: What do you notice in these images?
Why History Matters in Nursing Today
Provides an informed and critical understanding of our society
Helps us understand the meaning of nursing and nursing experiences on a conceptual level
Facilitates sharper reflection on the current system and stakeholders
Influences current research about nursing as a discipline and profession
Teaches us who we are and where we are going
Source: Potter & Perry, 2024, p. 34-35
Other Important Reasons to Know Our Roots
Helps to develop professional identity
Promotes group cohesiveness and pride
Offers knowledge about practice relationships
Can challenge conventional wisdom
Provides understanding of political, social and economic influences today
Contributes to advancement of the nursing profession
Source: CNA: The Value of Nursing History Today, 2007
Florence Nightingale
Not only a nurse but a pioneering figure in nursing research and epidemiology
Considered by many to be the first nursing researcher, epidemiologist
Advocate for patients
Believed nursing to be an art and science with its own knowledge base, distinct from medicine
Scholar and theorist, well educated; innovator in care
Developed an apprenticeship training model that solidified nursing as a respectable occupation for women
Lifespan: 1820-1910
The Angel of Mercy (Mid-1800s to World War I)
Portrayal of nurses as noble, moral, religious, virginal and self-sacrificing
Strong ties to religion; Nightingale as epitome
Question posed: Is this an accurate portrayal of Nightingale?
Historical artifact: Red Cross, 1918
Indigenous Caregivers in Canada
Indigenous women healers played vital roles as nurses and midwives in settler societies
Post-Confederation policy aimed at assimilation and erasure of Indigenous culture and healing knowledge
Indigenous women largely barred from nurse training schools until the 1930s
Source: Wytenbroek, 2017
Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture (1890–1996)
First Indigenous nurse
Faced barriers to entry in Ontario; studied in New York
Joined the US Nurse Corps during WWI
Returned to Canada after WWI to join the 6 Nations Reserve as nurse and midwife
Source: Mallette & Yonge, 2022, p. 2
Harriet Tubman, Mary Eliza Mahoney & Lillian Holland Harvey
Dared to break through cultural norms to provide care to their communities
Advocates for rights of all people
Demonstrated grit, integrity and perseverance to earn nursing qualifications and positions
Harriet Tubman (1820-1913); Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845-1926); Lillian Holland Harvey (1912-1994)
Source: https://www.registerednursing.org/articles/african-american-nurses-making-history/
Bernice Redmon (1917–1993)
Could not attend nursing school in Canada in the 1940s; pursued diploma in Virginia (1945)
Returned to Canada to practice Public Health Nursing in Nova Scotia
First Black nurse appointed to the Victoria Order of Nurses in Canada
Context: Growing pressure to admit Black women into Canadian nursing schools
Source: Mallette & Yonge, 2022, p. 2
The First Black Nurses to Graduate from a Nursing Program in Canada (1948)
Visual reference: 1948 cohort image
Source: Mallette & Yonge, 2022, p. 2
Canadian Nurses’ Association (CNA) and Nursing History
CNA supports nursing history to socialize new nurses into the profession
Encourages critical thinking among nurses
Shares responsibility to integrate nursing history into education and professional awareness
Actively supports nursing historical research
Resource: Nursing In Canada CNA 1908-2021
Additional sources: YouTube overview and CNA site
How Has Your Idea of Nursing Been Shaped by History or Media?
Prompt for personal reflection on influences of history and media on nursing perceptions
Why Does IMAGE Matter?
Symbiotic relationship between professional image and socio-political-economic contexts
Stereotypes are pervasive and affect credibility and image
Professional image influences attraction and socialization of new nurses
Creates pressure to define nursing outcomes and identity
Source: Price et al., 2014
What Shapes Our IMAGE?
Media coverage (strikes, shortages, spotlights)
TV/movie portrayals
Advertisements about nursing
Public perceptions and lived experiences
Nursing as a career choice
Historical and current nursing perceptions, nursing associations, educational institutions
Influential figures: Nurse pioneers, scholars and trailblazers
Source: Price et al., 2014
Nursing Images in the Media (Examples)
Edie Falco as Nurse Jackie
Morgan Freeman, Reneé Zellweger, Chris Rock, Greg Kinnear (media representations listed)
Grey’s Anatomy; Nurse Betty; The Golden Globes; Be advised these reflect media portrayals rather than real-world practice
Underlying message: Images often focus on drama or sensationalism rather than expertise
The Mother, the Sex Symbol and the Careerist (Price et al., 2014)
The Mother (1945–1965): Post-war focus on family values
The Sex Symbol (Post mid-1960s): Sexualized portrayal with little evidence of intelligence or skill (e.g., MAS*H)
The Careerist: Current portrayal—intelligent, logical, progressive, empathetic, sophisticated, and assertive; reduced emphasis on traditional gender roles
Videos and Online Resources for Nursing Images
Be aware of listed resources:
Images of nursing: Just a nurse
I Am Your Nurse
NURSE TV featurette (2008)
Be A Nurse
If Florence Could See Us Now
URLs provided for reference (external media portrayals)
Images of Male Nurses
Section explores masculinity in nursing: Are you man enough to be a nurse?
Notable visuals: Terry Wiser, Harley Rider, S. US Navy Seal, etc.
Message: For information about careers in nursing and resources in Oregon, visit Oregon Center for Nursing
Content highlights: Hardest aspects of being a male nurse, challenges and perceptions
The History of Nurse Imagery and Recruitment Implications (Price et al., 2014)
Narrative research on Millennials (1980–2000) and career choices
Findings: Historical images can inspire or create dissonance
Virtue scripts (nurses as kind, compassionate) can trivialize complex, knowledgeable work
Historical Nursing Images (Price et al., 2014)
Portrayals include heroes, harlots, harridans, and handmaidens
Positive imagery often linked to wartime but still framed as virtuous and maternal
Ongoing emphasis on life-or-death stakes and virtuous hero imagery
Angel label implies innate virtues (care, compassion, comfort) and vocational calling with self-sacrifice
Masculine or sexualized depictions have persisted; emphasis on virtues rather than intellect
Implications and Strategies to Shift Nursing Image (Price et al., 2014)
Emphasize nurses’ knowledge and skill in images and language
Link potential recruits to practicing nurses in diverse settings
Promote inclusive, positive images of nursing
Promote the ‘careerist’ nurse as a modern, realistic image to be proud of
Additional Strategies to Improve Nursing Image
Emphasize nursing’s unique body of knowledge defined through research
Critically analyze media portrayals of nurses; get involved in representation
Make it a personal responsibility to uphold positive images of nursing
What is Your Ideal Image of Nursing?
Reflective prompt for students to envision desired public image of the profession
Fallen Angels and Forgotten Heroes (Stokes-Parish et al., 2022)
Findings: Critical care nurses did not perceive angel/hero labels positively during the pandemic
Nurses cited unrealistic expectations, safety risks, and poor remuneration
Called for better representations, recognition, and work conditions
Four Themes in Pandemic Nursing Images (Stokes-Parish et al., 2022)
1) History Repeating: Angel imagery tied to religious origins
2) Gender Stereotypes: Nursing still framed as women’s work in media
3) Political Pawns: Public heroics used for political agendas
4) Forgotten Heroes: Nurses felt respect diminished; became undervalued
Reflective Illustrations
Visuals and quotes highlight the gap between public image and real nursing experience
Example: a nurse as an angel image contrasted with frontline realities
Source: Stokes-Parish et al., 2022, p. 3
Pictures and Reflections from Public Messaging
Example image collections and messages (Cipher Health, NHS tribute imagery, etc.)
Critical reflection on how public messages shape perceptions and policy
Next Week
Week 2: Program Philosophies & Personal and Professional Values
Additional Resources and Reminders
Keep up with D2L announcements and weekly planner
Review the Handbook and Syllabus regularly to reinforce foundation concepts
Be prepared to discuss: foundational beliefs of the Nursing Degree Program, curriculum themes by year, academic integrity, scholarly writing standards, and learning resources
Summary of Key Takeaways for Week 1
Nursing is a historically rich, ethically regulated profession with a defined knowledge base and public accountability
Professional image matters and is shaped by historical narratives, media portrayals, and social contexts
Indigenous and Black nurses have pivotal historical contributions and face ongoing inclusion challenges
Historical figures like Florence Nightingale set foundations for nursing science, education, and professionalization
Reflective practice and critical media literacy are essential for understanding and shaping the future of the profession
Notation and Citations to Remember
Mallette & Young, 2022, p. 7
Potter & Perry, 2024, p. 34-35
CNA: The Value of Nursing History Today, 2007
Price et al., 2014
Stokes-Parish et al., 2022
Wytenbroek, 2017
3rd-party sources: Nurse imagery collections and YouTube resources listed in Week 1 slides