Freshman Nursing Students' Perception of Their Profession: A Study of Metaphor

Abstract

Objective: Metaphorical analysis is important in terms of evaluating the nursing profession from the perspective of nurses and understanding the profession. The study was conducted to analyze the perceptions of freshman nursing students about their profession through metaphors.
 Methods: This study was carried out in a qualitative design. The study was carried out with 94 students. The data that did not include any metaphor sources were eliminated and the study was concluded with the data from 61 students. The data were collected through the Personal Information Form and the semi-structured interview form with a metaphor question. The data were analyzed using metaphor analysis.
 Results: The findings revealed that the freshman nursing students identified 40 metaphors for their profession. The three most common metaphors were mother (n= 8), angel (n= 4), and column (n= 4).
 Conclusions: Metaphors are important in discovering nursing students' insights into their profession. The findings indicate that the majority of the students have a positive perception and perspective on their profession.