Abstract

Introduction: Profile considered the different characteristics or mode of behavior by individuals or group of people which attracts public attention while image is the underlying mental representation which does not reflect the reality in all its dimensions.
Aim: To identify and compare the attitude of high school students, nursing students and nurses regarding the image and profile of the nursing profession in Greece.
Material and Method: Questionnaire was constructed with 15 questions for each group (high school students, nursing students, nurses). The above groups were selected because they have different philosophies and views about nursing. Expert panel was employed to analyze the structure and themes of the questionnaire. The sample (n = 350) collected by convenience sampling using three High Schools (n = 100), one university (n = 120), and four hospitals (n = 130) of the South-West region in Greece (Peloponnesus area). Letters were sent, asking permission to approach participants. Data analyzed using SPSS 21.
Results: Most high school students (71.4%) knew nursing as a science, although the main source of information was the school (30.6%) and the family (24.5%). Interestingly, the majority of students (73.5%) will declare nursing in computerized form and will prefer military schools (30.6%), theoretical science (20.4%) and technical occupations (18.4%). It is noteworthy that the majority of students responded that nursing does not offer career prospects (71.4%), social recognition (65.3%) and job security (77.6%). The majority of nursing students chose nursing for job security (51%), while nursing has career prospects (84%) and offers social recognition (78%). Although students will practice the nursing profession (92%), the majority believes that nursing is undervalued profession (64%). Finally, the majority of nurses believes that nursing offers social recognition (53.7%), has career prospects (63.4%) and job security (58.6%). Most nurses (56.1%) did not participate in continuing education programs, considers nursing as a tiring profession (92.7%), are not autonomous practitioners (58%) and they will not propose their children to pursue nursing (68.3%).
Conclusion: Although nursing as a profession has been characterized in the past with low social prestige, it seems that in recent years many efforts has made to detach itself from the image of the past and it appears that succeeds.