Nurses' Image Portrayed in the Internet Photographs

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the image of nurses portrayed in the internet photographs. Methods: A total of 184 photographs were extracted through the Google portal site using a search term, 'nurse'. Based on the findings of previous studies, a content analysis was conducted with three categories: appearance characteristics, photographic scene, and photographic source. Results: The result revealed that in the photos of appearance characteristics, 237 (98.3%) out of 241 nurses had a normal or less frame, 235 (97.5%) were well-groomed, and 103 (42.7%) wore pants. In addition, 51 (21.2%) wore a cap (21.2%) and 12.0% were male. In the photographic scene, 69 (37.5%) portrayed nursing activities and 36 (19.6%) suggestiveness. In the suggestive photos, all of nurses were female (${\chi}^2=7.63$, p=.021) and they were more likely to have small frames (${\chi}^2=48.40$, p<.001) and wear caps (${\chi}^2=113.54$, p<.001) and skirts (${\chi}^2=39.96$, p<.001). Conclusion: This study showed that the photographs of the nurses wearing a cap and expressing the nurse as a sexual object still appeared. There is a need for a systematic image enhancement strategy so that actual images of nurses can be projected on the internet photographs.

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