Does public image of nurses matter?

The nursing profession is said to have long suffered from public stereotyping and from being closely associated with femininity and powerlessness. This descriptive correlational study was performed to identify the relationships between nurses' perception of common public stereotypes of their profession, nurses' self-concept, self-esteem, job satisfaction, and performance. Eighty registered nurses were invited to participate in this study by completing six types of questionnaires. The results suggest that nurses' perception of the public stereotyping of nursing is related to the development of their self-concept, collective self-esteem, and job satisfaction, all of which are associated with their performance. The results also indicate the importance of encouraging professional socialization and cultivation of positive, personal self-esteem to ward off the negative influences of public stereotypes on nursing practice. This study is tentative and requires further investigation with a more diverse sample. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.