Introduction. The professional image of a nurse which is influenced by a whole variety of factors is the main subject of this work. The social attitudes toward nurses are related to people’s own beliefs, opinions, stereotypes, as well as the nurses’ professional, personal and interpersonal skills. The proper image of a nurse is very important. Patients are becoming increasingly demanding toward nurses which poses new challenges for nurses attempting at creating a positive image of this profession. Aim. The aim of this work was to elicit the opinions about nurses’ work from parents of children hospitalized on the oncologic ward. Material and methods. The authors used a questionnaire of their own making and conducted a literature analysis. The literature review was made using the data taken from Main Medical Library. The research group consisted of 50 parents of children hospitalized in Oncology, Hematology and Child Transplantology Department in Lublin. All the parents were advised about the aim of the study and informed that the questionnaire is anonymous and voluntary. The obtained results have then undergone a statistical analysis, using a Chi2 test. Statistical significance was reached at the level of p<0.05. Results. The most important factors affecting the professional image of a nurse are as follows: the parent’s sex, their place of residence, nurse’s appearance, as well as the following traits: being nice, protective and friendly. Discussion. The image of a nurse as someone who is smiling, friendly and calm appears to be the closest to an ideal picture of such a professional. This pertains not only to parents but to the society as a whole. The nurse should pay attention to patients’ physical needs and expectations, as well as their spiritual side. Conclusions. The researched group provided a positive opinion about the work of nurses at the Department. They paid special attention to their being nice, protective and friendly. It is the nurses’ physical appearance that sheds a positive light on them, as competent and friendly professionals. Even though most people perceive nursing as a rather unattractive profession, there is a huge deal of respect for nurses.

Introduction. In Poland, among patients coming to hospital emergency departments (ED), one third require immediate surgical treatment. About one third are transferred to long-term intensive care. The remaining patients require a different type of care, e.g. consultation, healing wounds, observation in the emergency department. From there, they might either be referred to another hospital department or sent home after receiving outpatient help.Aim. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of pain and stress in patients treated in the emergency department with particular emphasis on the factors that determine their level.Material and methods. The study group consisted of 200 individuals treated in the emergency department of the Regional Hospital No. 2 in Rzeszów in 2013. The applied research method was a diagnostic survey that used a questionnaire as a research tool. The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS 20, whereas a statistically significant dependence was considered in those with level of significance p≤0.05.Results. Most respondents reported pain and feelings of stress while staying in the ED. Women and the unemployed were significantly less likely to report pain. Factors like gender, age, education level, and the coexistence of chronic diseases significantly affected the degree of stress among patients in the ED.Conclusion. Each patient treated at the emergency department should receive holistic care, so that the pain and stress of his injuries are reduced as soon as possible.

Introduction. Patients, as subjects of medical care, are becoming increasingly more demanding toward medical professionals which poses a challenge both for doctors and nurses. A variety of factors influences the professional image of a nurse. Different features are involved, including the nurse’s professional or interpersonal skills their personal beliefs, attitude, as well as social stereotypes about nurses. Aim. Looking at the image of nursing among the children hospitalized in the oncology ward. Material and methods. The authors used both literature review and a questionnaire of their own making. The literature review was done using data from the databases of Polish Central Medical Library. The research group comprised 32 children (aged from 8 to 17), all undergoing hospitalization in Hematology/Oncology and Child Transplantology in Lublin. The statistical calculations are made using Chi2 tests. The test results of p<0.05 were held as statistically significant. Results. The group was mostly composed of children aged 14 to 17 (56.25%). There were more boys (62.5%) than girls. The majority of children came from rural areas (71.87%) and most of them read through the documentation concerning the rules of the ward. Both nurses’ work and relations with patients were graded as “good” by the patients. Children pointed to “nice appearance” as the most important feature of every nurse. Discussion. A pediatric nurse should be patient, have lots of understanding, be sympathetic, caring and able to hold their nerve. Unfortunately, according to authors of earlier studies, not all nurses have these traits. This is due to the fact that the staff rarely involve in communication with the patients and they lack interpersonal skills. Conclusions. Children have a very high opinion on the work of nurses at the Hematology/Oncology and Child Transplantology Clinics. The children emphasized that the following features have the highest impact on their picture of the nurse: nice looks, being protective and caring. A research study conducted at the Hematology/Oncology and Child Transplantology Clinics shows the right features that a nurse should have