Perception of users of health services on the social visibility of nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: To know the perception of users of health services in three communes of Chile regarding the social visibility of nursing professionals during the period of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Material and Method: Qualitative study with a descriptive design that used the focus group technique. A focus group was carried out with an intentional sampling, made up of seven participants whose inclusion criteria were: being users of the Chilean Health System and, older than 18 years. The recruitment of the participants was conducted by a poster in social networks of the academic institution. The analysis strategy was content. Results: Three themes and seven sub-themes were found. The themes were, the visibility of the profession (social imaginaries, value of work, invisibility), first line (revaluation of professionals, safety, and trust) and gender (feminized profession, invisibility). Conclusions: Under the current context of health, the visibility of nursing has been sustained by situations that are precisely associated with invisibility, mental health, workload, gender issues, among others. It is suggested that research be conducted to demonstrate and disseminate the significant role of nursing professionals in society and promote their recognition.