The students' reasons to choose a nursing degree program: an Italian exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Student Motivation
• Higher Education

Background:

• Student motivations for choosing a Nursing Degree Program are internationally recognized but understudied in Italy.
• An observational study was conducted at the University of Pavia to explore these motivations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the underlying reasons why students choose to enter a Nursing Degree Program in Italy.
• To identify key motivators and perceived characteristics of nurses among aspiring nursing students.

Main Methods:

• A single-center, cross-sectional study utilizing a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire.
• The questionnaire included both open-ended and multiple-choice questions to gather comprehensive data.
• Descriptive statistics and qualitative language analysis were employed for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• A 71% response rate was achieved from 275 students.
• Primary motivations included a feeling of usefulness (80%), desire to help/care for people (78%), interest in sciences (71%), and compassion for the suffering (66%).
• Students identified key nurse characteristics: expertise, personal attributes, viewing nursing as a social function, and health field interest.

Conclusions:

• Student choices for nursing programs often lack clear motivations and defined career paths.
• Providing realistic information on the nursing role and career development is crucial for informed decision-making.
• Further qualitative research is needed to understand student motivations and identify at-risk students for targeted support strategies.