Nursing's public image in Istanbul: Comparison between generations

Objective: Currently, nurses representing Baby Boomer, X and Y generations provide health care services to individuals in their own or other generations. This point of the view, the study was conducted with the aim of comparing the nursing image perceptions of individuals from different generations. Materials and Methods: The descriptive-cross-sectional study was completed with 2426 individuals attending as outpatients and relatives in a private hospital group between January and June 2017 in Istanbul. Data were collected with a survey form comprising Personal Characteristics Form and Nursing Image Scale. Analysis of data used descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis. Results: More than half of participants were in generation Y (55.2 %). The median was determined as 64 (47-71) for Nursing Image Scale. The subscale perceived most positively was professional and educational qualities with median of 34 (25-40). The mean rank for Nursing Image Scale and subscales for participants in Generation Y were determined to be significantly higher than Generation X and Baby Boomer Generation (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of the study showed that nursing image is positive at moderate levels and that individuals in Generation Y perceive nursing image more positively compared to other generations. In line with this, it is recommended that scientific and social studies be developed led by managers and educators in the profession for individuals in public to accurately perceive nurses and the nursing profession.