Can the Public Image of Nursing Be Improved Via the Use of Photographs As a Symbolic Language?

INTRODUCTION: The society’s opinion on the image of nursing is influence on various factors, including choosing the nursing profession and continuation in the profession. This study aimed to examine the effects of using the language of photography to explain the nursing profession as a professional occupation to society.
METHODS: Designed as a non-randomized quasi-experimental (One group pre-test-post-test) study, the research included a sample of 1088 participants who viewed 59 photographs specific to the nursing area. A personal information form and the “Nursing Image Scale” were used as data collection tools.
RESULTS: The participants’ mean score on the Nursing Image Scale was 65.33 before they attended the photo exhibition and 68.02 after attending it, indicating a statistically significant difference between the pre-test mean score and post-test mean score on the Nursing Image Scale applied to the participants before and after the exhibition (p=0.000).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: From these results, it was concluded that the participants’ image of nursing was higher than average, meaning that the photo exhibition improved their image of nursing.