Factors affecting vocational choice among senior nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: During clinical placement, nursing students may experience unease and moral distress, negatively impacting their professional values and vocational choices.This study explored factors affecting nursing students’ vocational choices. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited the participants from three universities in South Korea Between September and October 2021. This study was adopted with a convenience sample of 270 Korean fourth-year nursing students who completed their clinical practice at tertiary general hospitals in three provinces in the North, Middle, and South areas of South Korea. Data were collected through a self-administered structured questionnaire. Results: The factors affecting higher vocational choice were higher professional values, intention not to choose nursing as a future career, having no vision for choosing nursing, democratic family climate, and having at least one parent who was a medical professional. Conclusion: Fostering students’ nursing professionalism and professional values through university education curricula may help maintain nursing students’ professional identity.