Nursing Image As a Profession and Self –Esteem Among Secondary School Students in Dakahlia Governorate

Abstract

Background: Nursing profession is composite, energetic and assorted, so nurses still encounter confrontations concerning their image that has extensive trace on their decision to take up and remain in nursing and to contribute to better positive health care outcomes. Self-esteem has its effect on how student nurses think, feel, communicate, and motivate themselves and act which with-no-doubt impacts on the care patients receive. Aim: The study aimed to detect the relationship between nursing image as a profession and self-esteem among secondary school students in Dakahlia Governorate. Methods: A descriptive co-relational study was utilized with a sample of (420) nursing students that were selected from nursing secondary schools inDakahlia Governorate. Tools of data collection:Two tools were used; Image of Nursing as a Profession Questionnaire and Self-Esteem Inventory. Results: Revealed a positive perception towards nursing image as a profession. According to nursing students' perceptions the most apparent factors that had positive influence on nursing image are parents' opinion, relationship with medical staff in clinical training settings and teaching staff in the school of nursing. They also mentioned that the greatest factors that had negative influence on nursing image are public image of nursing and the media portrayal of nursing. Moreover, the majority of nursing students in the three grades had low self-esteem. Conclusion:According to participants, there was no correlation between self-esteem and image of nursing as a profession. Recommendation: It is recommended to enhance the professional behavior of nursing students through in-services training program to improve the image of nursing as a profession, and also introduce strategies to enhance nursing students' level of self-esteem.