Objective:

Describe the image of nursing during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic through the generalist and specialized written press.

Methods:

Descriptive qualitative documentary study, analysis carried out under Moscovici's theory. 95 news items published from March 15 to May 15 were selected. Articles that made specific references to nurses or dealt with health personnel in general were discarded. In a second selection phase, 36 news from the general press and 40 from the specialized press were included for the analysis. Data were extracted taking into account 8 indicators: verbal language, images, degree of importance and dissemination of the information, scope, people involved, why the information transcends, identification of judgments by the authors and elements of social construction.

Results:

General press: 94.5% journalistic language compared to 5.5% scientific-informative. Majority use of masculine, focused on care activity. The main emerging categories were: field of work/profession (43.75%), context/environment (34.71%), emotions (13.88%) and knowledge patterns (7.64%).

Conclusions:

The news published in the general press incorporates a reductionist view of the nurse regarding their professional performance, although they give it great social value. It is necessary to achieve recognition of the autonomous role as well as the visibility of all fields of action. It is evidenced as a necessary resource, as well as scarce, for the viability of the health system and the care of the population.