Abstract

Introduction. The profession of a nurse belongs to the group of professions of public trust. The choice of nursing as a path of life results in numerous obligations: the one to make continuous efforts in order to provide professional assistance and accompany the patients and their families in health and illness, the one to develop proper attitude towards the health of the whole society as well as the one to continue professional development and contribute to the progress of nursing as a scientific discipline. The changes that took place over the 20th and the 21st centuries, such as a holistic view of the patient’s problems, development of the nursing as a science and changing expectations of the society towards nurses, constitute the foundation to carry out the research concerning the perception of the nursing profession by the society of the Malopolska voivodeship. Aim. The objective of the work was to get to know the opinions of the society of the Malopolska voivodeship related to the profession of the nurse. Material and methods. The research was conducted among 135 people who are residents of the Malopolska voivodeship. The diagnostic poll method using the author’s version of the survey questionnaire consisting of 32 questions was applied. The analysis was performed with the use of the Excel table removing the N number and %. Results. Seventy women and 65 men participated in the research. The highest number of the participants - 46% (n=62) were at the age of 18-30, the age bracket of 60 and more included 28% of the respondents (n=39). The majority of the respondents – 69% (n=93) think that nursing is the caring profession as well as it is a subject taught at the nursing school and a scientific discipline. As many as 86% of the respondents (n=116) believe that the essence of the nursing occupation is professional assistance and accompanying the patient in health and illness, 78% of the respondents (n=105) think the most significant feature of the contemporary nurse’s character is protectiveness, 67% of the respondents (n=90) expect the nurse to be experienced. According to 78% of the respondents (n=105) the advantage of the nurses is a high level of knowledge and 38% (n=51) reckon that the drawback of nurses in relation of a patient and a nurse is the lack of politeness. In the hierarchy of importance, among 10 various listed occupations, the respondents place the profession of the nurse on the second position, right behind the profession of a physician, 73% of the respondents (n=99) like nurses for the care. Conclusions. The conducted research shows that the society expects nurses to provide professional assistance and company as well as nursing is the most important for it. The respondents appreciate nurses for the high level of knowledge, protectiveness, experience, comprehensiveness and professionalism.

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