Nursing Students' Perceptions of Nurses' Image after a Nursing History Class : Q Methodological Approach

Purpose This study aimed to identify and categorize nursing students’ perceptions of nurses’ image after taking a nursing history class using Q methodology and to explore the characteristics of each type. The findings were intended to provide foundational data for establishing a positive image of nurses and to highlight the educational significance of nursing history courses. Methods To construct the Q population, written interviews were conducted with nursing students regarding their perceptions of nurses’ image after completing a nursing history class. In addition, relevant literature related to nurses’ image was reviewed to collect statements. Duplicate or ambiguous statements were revised and refined, resulting in a final set of 34 Q-sample statements. The finalized Q-sample was sorted by 47 nursing students, who served as the P-sample, using a forced distribution method based on a 9-point scale. The collected data were analyzed using the pc-QUANAL program. Results The analysis identified four types of nurses’ image perceived by nursing students after the nursing history class. Type I was “Nurse Identity Concern Type,” Type II was “Preparation and Commitment as a Future Nurse Type,” Type III was “A new factual cognitive form of nursing history,” and Type IV was “Desired nursing development type in the future.” Conclusion This study is meaningful in that it identified the influence of nursing history education on the formation of nursing students’ perceptions of nurses’ image. The findings may serve as foundational data for developing educational strategies to promote a positive image of nurses and to establish professional nursing identity among nursing students.