How Entering Students View Nursing as a Profession After COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the nursing profession. Nurses were called heroes during the pandemic, yet nursing is now suffering a staffing crisis. This phenomenological study asked 15 incoming first-semester nursing students about their perceptions of the nursing profession. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed, and three themes emerged: Vicarious Pride, Raw Gratitude, and Help Is Coming. With a need to attract more applicants and graduate more nurses, nursing schools might use these identified concepts to recruit and motivate prospective students. This research provides insight into the motivation to attend nursing school following the pandemic.