A Study of Nurses' Internal, External, and Social Images as Perceived by College Students in South Korea

PURPOSE: This study is a descriptive survey study aiming to examine the internal, external, and social images of nurses as perceived by Korean college students and clarifying the relationship between these images.

METHODS: This study was performed using a structured questionnaire from May 2 to 14, 2016. Data were collected from 221 college students and were statistically interpreted using t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

RESULTS: The study results are as follows: First, the internal image of nurses was scored at 3.46 points, the external image at 2.78, and the social image at 2.76. Second, a significant positive correlation was found between the internal, external, and social images as well as between the external and social images, implying the importance of both internal and external images of nurses.

CONCLUSION: The results of this study are expected to be used as a reference base for devising strategies and measures for the enhancement of internal, external, and social images of nurses for future healthcare consumers.