Abstract
Introduction The diversity in the public image about nurses, the nursing profession, and the comprehension about the true functions and domains of nurses’ job engagement is one of the powerful contrivances that impact nurses’ self-esteem and authority, and recruitment and retention in the health industry.
Objective This study aims at identifying the difference between nurses’ perception about the different stakeholders’ image of a nurse.
Methods Self-reports on nurses’ perception about doctors’ image of a nurse, patients’ image of a nurse, other hospital staffs’ image of a nurse, and self-perception about a nurse were collected from a sample of 749 registered nurses selected using stratified random sampling from different settings across the state. Data were collected using an adapted version of the Porter Nursing Image Scale.
Results Data were tested for the mean and standard deviation (SD); and within-subjects difference using the general linear model and repeated measures analysis of variance indicated a difference in the nurses’ perception about image of a nurse with respect to doctors (mean = 53.22; SD = 6.5), patients (mean = 51.91; SD = 6.9), other hospital staff (mean = 53.05; SD = 6.8), and self (mean = 58.36; SD = 6.9), with F(2.625, 1963.5) = 352.656, p < 0.000, and R
2 = 0.32.
Conclusion The findings indicate a difference in the nurses’ perception about the stakeholders’ image of a nurse. This research suggests the need for strategies toward promoting positive nurse image among stakeholders.
Keywords
doctors - hospital staff - nurses - patients - perception - self-reports
