Professional Experience Placement

This article published recently in the collegian discusses a study that explored the reasons students choose to undertake a nursing degree. The authors surveyed incoming first year students to elicit the reasons for their choice of enrolling in a nursing programme. The authors analysed a qualitative response to seeking participants to identify the main reasons they chose nursing. There were over 650 responses to this question. From the analysis major categories were career an personal aspirations. Within the career category respondents indicated that opportunities and choice were common. In the personal category, respondents used phrases such as helping people; help others; help my community.  Learning how to help and enjoyment was also frequent phrases used. Unexpectedly, nursing as a family tradition was also evident from the responses. Caring and care were also common.

The importance of this study for nurse education is a reminder to educators to engage students by developing curricula that meets the aspirations of those who choose to be a nurse. Retention of students in programmes could occur if educational programmes focus on the helping society and the patients / clients these students will encounter during their work. There also needs to be room in the curricula to enable students to discuss their personal aspirations and enable them to keep motivated during their studies.

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