Role of careers advisers in nurse recruitment.

The aim of the national Image of Nursing programme is to attract high calibre recruits to nursing. This article describes research into the role of careers advisers and how they perceive the image of 'nurses' and 'nursing'. It explores their professional profiles, perceptions and attitudes to nursing as a career, knowledge about the requirements and opportunities for entering nursing, and the resources used. The findings identify a number of systemic influences, in six themes, from which are derived 16 recommendations. Nurse leaders across healthcare services and universities are ideally placed to review, revise and develop the recommendations to optimise high calibre nurse recruitment and provide a more positive image of nursing.