[An instrument to analyze secondary-level students' images about nurses].

The objective of the present study was to perform a quantitative-descriptive pilot study, which would provide the support for a further construct validation of a data collection instrument to assess the perception of third-year secondary-level students about nursing. The data collection instrument was founded on Nursing History, Social Psychology, and Career Choice literatures, and was submitted to content validation by judges. The convenience sample consisted of 46 students, 28 of whom were women. Nursing occupied the eighth place in the ranking of social status among 14 professions. Regarding salary perception, nursing dropped to the ninth place. The association of Nursing with aspects that denote scientific knowledge suggests that the image of Nursing Practitioners should be updated among students in the city of Ribeirão Preto-SP.