Public Perception toward Nursing Profession in Selective Arabic Communities

Abstract

Background: The development of the nursing profession depends significantly on how communities perceive it. This study aims to identify the views and attitudes of Arabic communities, specifically those in Sudan, Yemen, and Egypt, toward the nursing profession. Methods: A descriptive comparative study was used to identify the perception of Arabic communities (Sudan, Yemen, and Egypt) toward the nursing profession. The study was conducted in three Arabic countries (Sudan, Yemen, and Egypt) using an online approach by sending the link of questions to the targeted population using emails, WhatsApp, and social media. There were 529 participants from the three Arabic countries. The study was analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: A majority (75.6%) of the participants were aged <40 years, with most (82.9%) being between 21 and 30 years of age. There was a generally positive perception toward the nursing profession among these communities: 97.6% of Sudanese, 94.9% of Yemenis, and 96.1% Egyptian. There was a borderline statistical significance between the Sudanese and Egyptians' age and their perception toward their profession. Gender is the only factor influencing the perception in Sudan and Egypt, and while women have a higher positive perception in Egypt, men have a higher positive perception in Sudan. Conclusion: Overall, the perception of Sudanese, Yemeni, and Egyptian communities toward the nursing profession is acceptable. The only influencing factor on the level of perception was Egyptian females who have high positive perception toward the nursing profession and Sudanese males who have high positive perception toward nursing profession We recommend further research to assess the perception toward nursing from different sociocultural backgrounds and on a larger sample size.