Nursing as a pathway to women's empowerment and intergenerational mobility

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Global Health
• Socioeconomic Mobility

Background:

• Low- and middle-income countries face challenges including poverty, limited access to services, and workforce shortages.
• The impact of nursing education on women's empowerment and intergenerational mobility in these settings is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of nursing education on the intergenerational mobility of graduates from nursing upskilling programs.
• To explore the relationship between parental education and graduate educational attainment.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing an online alumni survey conducted between March and May 2016.
• Intergenerational mobility was measured by comparing graduates' education levels with those of their parents.
• Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were employed for data analysis.

Main Results:

• A significant majority of female nursing graduates (76% vs. mothers, 59% vs. fathers) achieved higher educational qualifications than their parents.
• Lower parental education levels were associated with increased respondent age and migration between Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
• Tanzanian respondents exhibited higher rates of upward intergenerational mobility compared to Kenyan and Ugandan respondents.

Conclusions:

• Nursing education programs positively influenced gender, economic factors, and health outcomes for graduates.
• High-quality nursing upskilling enhances leadership, improves health outcomes, and supports gender empowerment and intergenerational mobility.
• Further research is recommended to confirm the "triple impact" of nursing education on health, gender equality, and economic growth.