When you picture the nursing profession, what's the first image that you have in your mind? Let's first think about what the nurses' image means. Brand imaging is defined as the perception or concept that the consumer has of a product, company, organization, or profession based upon experiences, messaging, associations, and interactions.1 Brand identity is more tangible and refers to how a business or a profession presents itself to consumers. This is the personality of the brand, values, mission messaging, tone, and overall visual identity.1
Now, what brand identity or brand image do you associate with the nursing profession? Consumers will often associate the image of nursing with "heroes in white," healers, caring, compassionate, kind, and gentle. There are perceptions that nurses are subservient to providers, followers, and service-minded individuals. Although the concept of nurses as heroes and compassionate, caring individuals isn't derogatory, it isn't the image that we nurses have of ourselves.
When asked about how we view ourselves, nurses use terms such as advocate, professional, team member, educator, critical thinker, and advanced practice provider. I challenge you to think of nurses as leaders, healthcare experts, and drivers of healthcare policy and healthcare practices. Consider our multiple roles as professionals and the integral part we play in driving healthcare across the patient's life span. Doesn't it sound fitting, even reasonable, that our brand image be "tuned up" or revised? Although nurses and the general public agree that nursing's current brand image is most commonly seen as "caring," this descriptor is the least desirable brand position statement according to nurses surveyed.2 The rationale here is that it's crucial that the image be reflective of who we are as professionals; that our strength and resilience as leaders and experts be seen as the image and thereby conveyed broadly to the consumer.
Looking closer at nursing's brand image offers an unprecedented opportunity to strategically "reimagine" the education of the nursing workforce to boldly target the lack of autonomy, influence, and empowerment that has persisted in the profession's brand image.2
Why is this so important? We must think about our future as a professional body. Our brand image influences our ability to recruit and effect change. If we aren't seen as leaders, this will impact our legislative capacity to define and develop actions and to promote strategic changes that affect public health and welfare. Nurses leading the way into the future of healthcare, defining and developing the path with authority and autonomy: that's the brand image I want to promote. Reader, I hope that you'll see this brand image reflected in Nursing Made Incredibly Easy!'s updated look, coming in 2024.
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