EMPIRICAL STUDIES doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2008.00638.x Polish medical students’ perceptions of the nursing profession: a cross-sectional study Ludmila Marcinowicz RN, PhD 1 , Mary Foley RN, EdD 2 , Danuta Zarzycka RN, PhD 3 , Slawomir Chlabicz MD, PhD 1 , Adam Windak MD, PhD 4 and Krzysztof Buczkowski MD, PhD 5 1 Department of Family Medicine and Community Nursing, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland, 2 Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA, 3 Nursing and Health Sciences Faculty, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland, 4 Department of Family Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland and 5 Department of Family Medicine, Nicolas Copernicus University in Torun ´ , Torun ´ , Poland Scand J Caring Sci; 2009; 23; 438–445 Polish medical students’ perceptions of the nursing profession: a cross-sectional study This study explored perceptions of the nursing profession held by medical students in Poland. Specifically, this study aimed to: (i) elicit medical students’ opinions about the nursing profession; (ii) identify what skills and abilities they perceive as important for nurses and (iii) ascertain what nursing functions are considered a major component of the nurse’s job. A cross-sectional study, based on the social construct of role theory, was conducted in medical universities from 2005 to 2006 in three cities situated in different regions of Poland: Bialystok, Bydgoszcz and Krako ´ w. A total of 900 medical students, 300 students in each region, in medical school years 1, 3 and 6 completed the Professional Nursing Image Survey. The most favour- able nurse characteristics were: ‘professional reliability’, ‘demonstration of good technical skills’ and the personal characteristics of friendliness and courteousness. Medica- tion administration, recording vital signs and administer- ing intravenous therapy were most frequently identified as a major part of the nurses’ role. In conclusion, the opinions of Polish medical students suggest that nursing therapeutic activities trump independent nursing practice activities. Keywords: medical students, nurses, professional roles, questionnaires, Poland. Submitted 22 October 2007, Accepted 13 May 2008 Introduction Poland has a population of almost 40 million. As one of the transition countries in the Central and Eastern Eur- ope, it has faced political and economic changes over the past few decades. The system transformation that began in the 1980s resulted in both the liberation of Poland from Soviet influence and the democratization of the political system in 1989. Since 1990, the government of Poland has introduced a number of reforms in the finance, management and organization of the health sector (1). Through intensive and sustained efforts, the Polish system’s transformation, and concomitant healthcare revisions, resulted in favourable alterations in the orga- nization of nursing care and the educational system for nurses and midwives (2). The Polish educational systems for doctors and nurses In Poland, the university-based educational process for both the medical and nursing professions occurs in unison. That is to say, student nurses and medical students attend similar university classes. However, there are important and unique academic requirements for nurses’ education that must be highlighted. The basic education is identical for all young adults. However, beyond this point, educa- tion for doctors and nurses in Poland differ in terms of the grading system, curriculum, and, ultimately, in the scope of professional competence and responsibilities after graduation. In accordance with the Declaration of Bologne, higher education for nurses is offered in a two- cycle system. The completion of the first cycle of studies leads to a Bachelor Degree or a vocational studies degree. At this point in the educational pursuit, it is possible to practice nursing without further education. Alternatively, individuals may opt for two additional years of studies and acquire a master’s degree in nursing. Thus, nurses’ edu- Correspondence to: Ludmila Marcinowicz, Department of Family Medicine and Com- munity Nursing, Medical University of Bialystok, 15 054 Bialystok, Mieszka I 4 ‘B’, Poland. E-mail: ludmila.marcinowicz@amb.edu.pl 438 Ó 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation Ó 2008 Nordic College of Caring Science