[Professional image of nurses as perceived by doctors, patients and nurses themselves]

The study was aimed at comparing the perception of the nurses' professional image by three groups: doctors, patients and nurses. The following elements of the image were taken into account: professional, personal and interpersonal characteristics as well as general beliefs on the nursing profession.

The examined group consisted of 160 participants: 50 doctors, 50 patients and 60 nurses employed or currently treated in provincial and district hospitals. To test the professional image of nurses a new measurement tool has been developed. It permits to assess professional, personal and interpersonal characteristics attributed to nurses and selected beliefs on the nursing profession. The study took into consideration the following socio-demographic factors: gender, age, marital status, place of residence, education and setting, and also profession-related factors (job seniority; additional courses and specializations) as regards doctors and nurses and occupational activity and relations with nurses as regards patients.

The surveyed groups differed in their assessment of a majority of characteristics attributed to nurses. The characteristics were appraised lower by doctors than by nurses, which indicates a more negative attitude of the former. The patients' appraisal was also lower than that of nurses, except for mental strength and tidiness. However, nurses perceived their professional position in the society and medical profession as the lowest. The characteristics, which did not differ in their assessment between groups were analyzed as well.

The study allowed determining those elements of the nurses' professional image, whose appraisal differed between the surveyed groups. In spite of the existing common elements, the differences dominated. In the majority of the analyzed elements the nurses' evaluation was higher than that of doctors and patients, which indicates that they demonstrate more positive image of the profession than the other groups.