In Venezuela, nursing as a discipline has been developed in recent years, not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively. It used to be a training study not part of the University. Nowadays, it is a five-year nursing degree program since 1964. Although the nurses' image has been changing over recent years, it is still perceived as a work predominantly technical and hospitable. In order to determine the perception of the social image of nursing students in the first semester, period I-2005 and sixth and tenth semesters, period II-2004 within the nursing program of the Faculty of Health Sciences, UCLA, it was developed a descriptive, field transversal study. The sample was made up of 143 students of different semesters. In this study, it is also included those students who took a structured questionnaire of 10 items drawn from the consultation of other studies (Ramos and Hernandez), on the nursing image adapted to the Venezuelan context. As a result the students' average age was 16 and 36 + years; the selection of nursing career in large numbers is by vocation. The social image showed a respect and admiration for the nurses. The labor image was considered good. The appropriate nursing care and function relative to the support of the sick and disease prevention were considered important.
