Nursing's image is given a dose of video reality

The stereotypical nurse is either a demure angel of mercy looking like Florence Nightingale or the kind of stern matron portrayed in Carry On films who dispense giant pills, rubber sheets and risible lines such as: "You fell on your coccyx."

An image makeover is required to rid the profession of such stereotypes, according to the branding consultancy Redspider. It found that young people were being deterred from a career in nursing because nobody told them about the emotional rewards of joining a profession based on compassion, teamwork, versatility and the opportunity to make a difference.

Charlie Robertson, a Redspider consultant, said: "The image of nursing is not even middle of the road. It's worse than that. It's the equivalent of an own-label food line and should be aiming much higher."

Ministers are concerned about the supply of nurses, which is threatened by the imminent retirement of about 20% of the workforce who are over 50, and efforts by the US to attract nurses from other parts of the world.

But it was left to the magazine Nursing Standard to organise a rebranding of the profession and pay a £100,000 bill for a five-minute film to try to change public perceptions.

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