Ong Hui Lin, Seow Esmond, Chua Boon Yiang, Xie Huiting, Wang Jia, Lau Ying Wen, Chong Siow Ann, Subramaniam Mythily
Department of Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
Department of Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
Nurse Educ Today. 2017 May;52:95-102. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.02.014. Epub 2017 Feb 24.
There is a shortage of nurses working in the mental health field globally. The aim of the present study was to examine Singapore nursing students' attitudes towards specializing in psychiatric nursing by examining the pre-nursing and nursing school factors as well as attitudes towards psychiatry and personality traits.
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 500 nursing students from four nursing institutions in Singapore. Students' attitudes towards psychiatry (ATP-18), perception of psychiatric nursing career aspects relative to other fields, and personality traits (mini-IPIP) were assessed. The main outcome measure was likelihood of specializing in psychiatric nursing. Logistic regression was used to examine the combined effect of factors upon the outcome.
Twenty-six students (5.2%) rated "definitely decided to do" psychiatric nursing. Pre-nursing school factors associated with choosing psychiatry included ethnicity, current education, parents' wishes, having personal/family experience of mental illness, prior work experience, interest in psychiatric nursing and psychology module taken prior to current school admission. Nursing school factors such as teaching methods and clinical exposure were not associated with choosing psychiatric nursing. Positive attitudes towards psychiatry, perception of better career aspects in psychiatric nursing relative to other fields, and the personality traits of extraversion and intellect/imagination were associated with likelihood of choosing psychiatric nursing. Logistic regression revealed Malay (OR: 1.90, 1.14-3.16, p=0.013) and Indian ethnicity (OR: 2.56, 1.32-4.96, p=0.005), interest in psychiatry (OR: 22.56, 8.22-61.92, p<0.001), psychology module prior to current school admission (OR: 2.31, 1.28-4.17, p=0.005), better perceived job prospects in psychiatric nursing than other fields (OR: 1.91, 1.21-3.04, p=0.006), extraversion (OR: 1.09, 1.02-1.17, p=0.012) and positive attitude towards psychiatry (OR: 2.72, 1.75-4.23, p<0.001) as factors associated with students choosing psychiatric nursing.
The selection of psychiatry as a specialty by nursing students was affected by pre-nursing school factors. Taking these factors into consideration may improve recruitment and alleviate the shortages in the psychiatric nursing field.
全球精神卫生领域的护士短缺。本研究旨在通过考察护理专业入学前及护理学校期间的因素、对精神病学的态度以及人格特质，来探究新加坡护理专业学生对精神科护理专科的态度。
对新加坡四所护理院校的500名护理专业学生进行了一项横断面在线调查。评估了学生对精神病学的态度（ATP - 18）、相对于其他领域对精神科护理职业方面的认知以及人格特质（mini - IPIP）。主要结局指标是选择精神科护理专科的可能性。采用逻辑回归分析来考察各因素对结局的综合影响。
26名学生（5.2%）表示“肯定决定从事”精神科护理。与选择精神病学相关的护理专业入学前因素包括种族、当前教育程度、父母意愿、有个人/家庭精神疾病经历、既往工作经验、对精神科护理的兴趣以及当前入学前修读的心理学课程。护理学校的因素，如教学方法和临床实习经历，与选择精神科护理无关。对精神病学持积极态度、认为精神科护理相对于其他领域有更好的职业前景以及外向和有才智/想象力的人格特质与选择精神科护理的可能性相关。逻辑回归分析显示，马来族（比值比：1.90，1.14 - 3.16，p = 0.013）和印度族（比值比：2.56，1.32 - 4.96，p = 0.005）、对精神病学的兴趣（比值比：22.56，8.22 - 61.92，p < 0.001）、当前入学前修读的心理学课程（比值比：2.31，1.28 - 4.17，p = 0.005）、认为精神科护理的工作前景比其他领域更好（比值比：1.91，1.21 - 3.04，p = 0.006）、外向性（比值比：1.09，1.02 - 1.17，p = 0.012）以及对精神病学持积极态度（比值比：2.72，1.75 - 4.23，p < 0.001）是与学生选择精神科护理相关的因素。
护理专业学生选择精神病学作为专科受到护理专业入学前因素的影响。考虑这些因素可能会改善招募情况并缓解精神科护理领域的短缺问题。
