Is nursing profession my first choice? A follow up survey in pre-registeration student nurses

SummaryThe purpose of this study was to explore how nursing students’ value factors, motivational factors, institutional factors and competence factors contributed to career intent. All fifth-year nursing students (n = 231) in a college in eastern Taiwan completed a survey which followed-up a study done 1 year previously in the same population were followed for 1 year. A validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire developed by the investigators in 2004 and modified in 2005 was used in the study. Data on value factors, competence factors, motivational factors, and situational factors were collected. The overall response rate was 87.4%. The rates of considering nursing as their first choice improved from 19.1% at the point of college-entry to 34.6% in 2004 and 46.5% in 2005 in the same cohort students. Past experience with being ill, degree of stress, self-rated clinical competency, perceived support from staff nurses, and perceived value were associated with career decision after the completion of a whole year of clinical practice (p < 0.05–0.01). In multivariate analysis, perceived support from staff nurses, past experience with being ill, and perceived value proved to be significant predictors of the career intent of pre-registration student nurses. Nursing faculty and nurse administrators need to provide assistance to reduce nursing students’ career attrition.