Nursing students' professional image in the Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey: A cross-sectional study

Background: Nursing students' professional perceptions are affected by the environment they live in. Nursing students think that the nursing profession is important during the pandemic. Purpose: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the nursing students' professional image perceptions and the affecting factors during the Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey. Methods: The research population consisted of all nursing students (N = 750) of two universities in Turkey. The research data were collected using a personal information form and the Scale for the Image of Nursing Profession (SINP). Results: Of the students, 76.4% were not infected with Covid-19, 30.8% had an individual in their family infected with Covid-19; 34% had an immediate family member who died of Covid-19; 99.4% thought that the nursing profession is important during the Covid-19 pandemic. A statistically significant difference was found between the place where the students live and the SINP (p < .05). Conclusion: The students' image perceptions toward the nursing profession were found to be at a good level. This indicates that image perception toward nursing profession has increased during the pandemic. It can be said that the place where the students are in the pandemic process and their thoughts about the nursing profession affect their professional image perceptions.