Liaw Sok Ying, Wu Ling Ting, Chow Yeow Leng, Lim Siriwan, Tan Khoon Kiat
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
School of Health Sciences, Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore.
Nurse Educ Today. 2017 May;52:66-72. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.02.008. Epub 2017 Feb 24.
Due to the ageing population and competition from other healthcare courses, a greater demand in the healthcare workforce has made it challenging for educational institutions to attract school leavers to enter nursing courses. Understanding the considerations of students who have chosen non-nursing healthcare courses and their perceptions of nursing can help identify specific strategies to enhance the attractiveness of nursing course. This study aims to examine the differences between healthcare career choices and perceptions of nursing as a career choice among first-year non-nursing healthcare students.
A descriptive survey design was conducted at the beginning of the healthcare courses of seven healthcare groups and from four higher educational institutions in Singapore. A total of 451 students responded, yielding an overall response rate of 52.7%. The online survey was administered using a valid and reliable 35-item parallel scale, known as the Healthcare Career Choice and Nursing Career Choice.
The participants perceived prior healthcare exposure as the most influential factor and self-efficacy as the least influential factor when choosing nursing as a career. In comparison to their own healthcare career choices, nursing was perceived to have greater gender stigma and, as nurses, they would be less likely to achieve higher qualifications and career advancements, and they would be less likely to enjoy fulfilling careers. They also perceived that they would be less likely to gain their parents' support to pursue nursing and to make their parents proud.
This study provides educators and policy-makers with vital information to develop key strategies to improve nursing enrolment in educational institutions. These strategies include early exposure to nursing as a rewarding career during school years, addressing the issue of gender stigma, and promoting information on the career and educational advancement of a registered nurse to parents of school leavers.
由于人口老龄化以及来自其他医疗保健课程的竞争，医疗保健劳动力的需求增加，使得教育机构难以吸引高中毕业生进入护理课程。了解选择非护理医疗保健课程的学生的考虑因素及其对护理的看法，有助于确定提高护理课程吸引力的具体策略。本研究旨在探讨一年级非护理医疗保健专业学生在医疗保健职业选择与对护理职业选择的看法之间的差异。
在新加坡七组医疗保健专业和四所高等教育机构的医疗保健课程开始时，进行了一项描述性调查设计。共有451名学生做出回应，总体回应率为52.7%。在线调查使用了一个有效且可靠的包含35个项目的平行量表，即《医疗保健职业选择与护理职业选择》。
参与者认为在选择护理作为职业时，先前的医疗保健经历是最具影响力的因素，而自我效能感是最不具影响力的因素。与他们自己的医疗保健职业选择相比，护理被认为存在更大的性别污名，并且作为护士，他们获得更高学历和职业晋升的可能性较小，享受充实职业的可能性也较小。他们还认为自己获得父母支持从事护理工作并让父母感到骄傲的可能性较小。
本研究为教育工作者和政策制定者提供了重要信息，以制定关键策略来提高教育机构的护理专业招生人数。这些策略包括在学生时代让他们尽早接触护理这一有意义的职业，解决性别污名问题，并向高中毕业生的家长宣传注册护士的职业和教育晋升信息。
