The image of nurses and nursing as perceived by the South African public

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Authors

Meiring, Annelie
Van Wyk, Neltjie C.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Unisa Press

Abstract

The aim of the study was to describe the South African public's perceptions of the image of nurses. A quantitative descriptive study was conducted and 776 respondents from different backgrounds completed questionnaires comprising 19 statements about nurses and nursing. Most respondents viewed nurses as extremely hardworking (80.0%; n=621) and caring and understanding (78.2%; n=607). Notwithstanding the positive comments about nurses, only 43.6% (n=338) of the respondents indicated that they would want their children to become nurses. Contrary to the negative image portrayed by the media of nursing in South Africa, this study revealed a generally positive public response to nursing and nurses in South Africa. However, nursing was not viewed as a career choice and the public did not seem to understand the complexities of a nursing career. The findings of this study could be used as a baseline for further studies on recruiting prospective student nurses.

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Keywords

Nurses’ image, Nursing as a career, South Africa (SA), Recruitment of nurses, Public perception of nursing

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Meiring, A & Van Wyk, NC 2013, 'The image of nurses and nursing as perceived by the South African public', Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 3-15.