Objective To sort out and analyze the characteristics of nurse media image in the vision of mainstream media, so as to provide a reference for the construction of nurse image in the future. Methods Reports on nurses published by People′s Daily and Guangming Daily from the inception to May 22, 2022 were taken as samples, and we analyzed the features of reports on nurses and the media images by using content analysis. Results A total of 734 reports were included, of which 403 were in the form of communication, and 404 reports tended to be positive. Totally 9 nurse media images were extracted: the angel in white who loves the job and works hard, the image who needs to be cared and concerned, the image of the professional practitioner who strives to forge ahead, the image of the retrograde who dares to be responsible, the image of the devotee who is willing to sacrifice, the image of the intellectual, the image of the despised professional group, the image of the doctors′ partner and the image of the brave successor. Conclusion The mainstream media reports on nurses involve a wide range of subjects and nurse media images are rich, but there are stereotypes of nurses in the reports. The media should strengthen the report on the science, professionalism and importance of nursing, promote the construction of accurate and comprehensive nurse media image, so as to improve the public′s identity of nursing work and nurses.