Factors Influencing the Choice of Nursing Profession as a Future Career Among Achievers University Nursing Students, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Interest in choosing a career and understanding the professional expectation of a career choice is critical to one's career's success and fulfillment. The growth of the nursing profession in Nigeria hinges on the ability to employ and retain the new generation of nurses. Choosing nursing as a career of choice should be influenced not only by outward and material benefits but also by self-interest and a true passion for the profession. Aim: The study assessed the factors influencing the choice of the nursing profession as a future career among Achievers University Nursing Students, Owo. Method: The study adopted a descriptive study design, and a multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 299 respondents for the study. The data collection instrument was a self-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using frequency tables and graphs, while chi-square was used to find associations between the variables with the aid of (SPSS) version 21.0. Result: The results of this study revealed that the high preference for nursing as a course of choice among the respondents was based on the following reasons: the opportunity it provides to travel and practice abroad (85.6%), parental influence (64.5%), future job opportunity (78.3%), family advice (63.2%). However, 29.8% would consider leaving nursing if given a choice, 58.5% claimed they would stay with nursing irrespective of any choice given while 11.7% were not yet sure of their decisions. The results of the hypotheses revealed a significant relationship between parental influence and the choice of nursing as a future career (x2 = 17.32, p<0.05). Conclusion: The study concluded that future job opportunities and an opportunity to travel abroad were the reason for choosing nursing as a profession. Parents and other family members were the major people who influenced the respondents' choice of nursing as a career. Recommendation: The study recommends that nursing schools organize a career talk programme to re-orientate the students on what nursing is all about, emphasizing both future benefits and challenges to expect in their course of choice. Keywords: Career, Choice, Factors, Future, Influence, Nursing profession.