High institute of nursing students perception of nursing as a career choice

ABSTRACT

The present study was done to assess the perception of the students of the first year, of the High Institutes of Nursing of the universities of Alexandria and Tanta of nursing as a career choice. The sample consisted of 200 students, 100 students randomly selected from each institute. A questionnaire was designed to collect the necessary data about the study subjects as well as their perception of nursing as a career choice, reasons for choosing it, their opinions regarding the advantages of nursing as a career, their opinions about reasons that induce "active nurses" to leave the profession, and their opinions regarding encouragement of a return to nursing profession. The findings revealed that the majority of the study sample in Alexandria and Tanta Universities [85%] perceived nursing as a career, while the minority of them did not perceive it as such. Nursing offers opportunities to manage a large group of people and to care for individuals, families and communities. Some students had misperception about nursing in the areas of considering nursing as a prestigious profession and designing and directing health programs. The findings also revealed that most of the study sample, both in Alexandria and Tanta choose nursing because they want to work with people. It is a job without a routine and a job with responsibility. The whole sample in Alexandria and Tanta stressed that they were put in the institute according to their total of marks attained in their GCE. They thought that the bad image of nursing, the nurses poor self-image, their low salary levels and other reasons induced "active nurses" to leave the nursing profession. Furthermore, the findings illustrated that it is very important to improve the nursing image both in hospitals and the community and to encourage a return to nursing profession