Image Is More Than a Uniform

What is in a brand, and how does it relate to the image of nursing? This was the concept a group of researchers at Indiana University Health (IU Health) led by Lucia D. Wocial, PhD, RN, a nurse ethicist and clinical nurse specialist, explored through a qualitative study. A brand is what you remember when you think of a company or a product. It is more than a logo or uniform; it is about how you feel when you buy or consume a product. A brand has the power to evoke emotion. How is this related to nursing? Nurses create a first impression by their appearance and behavior, and influence patients’ perceptions of the hospital’s brand.

Wocial and her team interviewed 363 nurses through 39 focus groups. The predominant themes that emerged were nurses’ appearance, behavior and character. Appearance was defined as being clean, well groomed and readily identifiable as the nurse. Being genuine and an advocate were identified as the two outstanding behaviors of an ideal nurse. These two behaviors were described as “being respectful, approachable, professional, attentive, caring, informative, reliable and collaborative.” Character traits identified were being compassionate, gracious and good mannered with emphasis on “being genuine and service oriented.” The unexpected theme that emerged was nurses wanted to be treated the same way that they were expected to treat patients and peers.

IU Health has established “Assurance” as its brand promise. Based on the findings from this study, the research team made recommendations to their Nurse Executive Council (NEC). The team concluded that the nurses’ appearance and behavior is a representation of the organization’s brand promise.