Professional values in Korean undergraduate nursing students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Professional Values
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Developing professional values in undergraduate nursing students is crucial for quality patient care, client recognition, and nurse job satisfaction.
• Understanding nursing students' perceptions of nursing professional values (NPV) is essential for effective educational strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore South Korean nursing students' perceptions of nursing professional values (NPV).
• To compare NPV scores based on demographic characteristics among nursing students.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 529 undergraduate nursing students from six South Korean universities.
• Utilized a 29-item Likert scale developed by Yeun et al. (2005) to measure Nursing Professional Values (NPV).
• Analyzed data based on demographic factors including motivation for study, graduate study plans, region, academic year, gender, and academic performance.

Main Results:

• NPV scores were significantly higher in students motivated by aptitude or desire for the profession compared to those admitted based on exam scores.
• Students planning graduate studies exhibited higher NPV scores than undecided students.
• Significant regional differences in NPV scores were observed, warranting further investigation.
• No significant correlation was found between NPV scores and academic year, gender, or academic performance.

Conclusions:

• Student motivation and future academic aspirations are linked to higher nursing professional values.
• Regional variations in NPV suggest the need for context-specific interventions in nursing education.
• Further research is recommended to explore the reasons behind regional differences and to develop targeted educational strategies.