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Revista San Gregorio

On-line version ISSN 2528-7907Print version ISSN 1390-7247

Revista San Gregorio vol.1 n.51 Portoviejo Sep./Nov. 2022

https://doi.org/10.36097/rsan.v0i51.2006 

Artículo Original

Effect of Perceptions of Professional Image on the Profession Preferences of Nursing Students: A Multi-Centered Study

Efecto de las percepciones de la imagen profesional sobre las preferencias profesionales de los estudiantes de enfermería: Un estudio multicéntrico

*Faculty of Nursing, Department of Surgical Nursing, Near East University, Cyprus. burcu.toturdikmen@neu.edu.tr

**School of Health, Department of Nursing, Adıyaman University, Turkey altinbasyasemin@gmail.com

***Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Turkey ozlemm_soyer@hotmail.com

****Faculty of Nursing, Department of Surgical Nursing, Ege University, Turkey meryem.yavuz@ege.edu.tr

*****Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University, Turkey yasemin.uslu@acibadem.edu.tr

******Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Turkey arzuaslan.mcbu@gmail.com

*******Faculty of Nursing, Department of Surgical Nursing, Ege University, Turkey. sinemgecit@gmail.com

********Department of Child Health and Diseases, Söke Fehime Faik Kocagöz Public Hospital, Turkey asliyazur@gmail.com


Resumen

Se afirma que el ingreso a la profesión de enfermería, la permanencia en la profesión y el desarrollo profesional en la profesión son el resultado de las percepciones de las enfermeras sobre la imagen de la profesión. El estudio tiene como objetivo determinar el efecto de las percepciones de la imagen profesional de los estudiantes de enfermería sobre sus preferencias profesionales. El estudio descriptivo se realizó en departamentos de enfermería de seis universidades de Turquía y Chipre. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 874 estudiantes de primer año que voluntariamente aceptaron participar en la investigación. Los datos fueron recolectados utilizando el formulario de información introductoria y la "Escala de Imagen de la Profesión de Enfermería". La puntuación media de los estudiantes de enfermería en la Escala de Imagen de la Profesión de Enfermería fue de 152.2±11.4. Se encontró diferencia estadísticamente significativa en el puntaje total de la Escala Imagen de la Profesión de Enfermería en cuanto al género, programa de pregrado, elección voluntaria de la profesión de enfermería, considerando la imagen de la profesión al elegir las variables de la profesión de enfermería (p <.05). Se encontró que los estudiantes de enfermería tienen un buen nivel de percepción de la imagen profesional hacia la profesión de enfermería. Se encontró que las características individuales y la económica de la profesión envían positivamente la elección voluntaria de la profesión de enfermería.

Palabras clave: Enfermería; bachillerato; educación; estudiantes; profesional

Abstract

Stepping into the nursing profession, staying in the profession and career development in the profession are stated to be the result of perceptions of nurses about the image of the profession. The study aims to determine the effect of perceptions of the professional image of nursing students on their profession preferences. The descriptive study was conducted in nursing departments of six universities in Turkey and Cyprus. The sample consisted of 874 freshman students who voluntarily agreed to participate in the research. The data were collected using the introductory information form and the "Image of Nursing Profession Scale". The average score of the nursing students on the Image of Nursing Profession Scale was 152.2±11.4. A statistically significant difference was found in the Image of Nursing Profession Scale total score average in terms of the gender, undergraduate program, choosing the nursing profession willingly, consideration the image of the profession when choosing the nursing profession variables (p<.05). The nursing students were found to have a good level of perceptions of professional image towards the nursing profession. Individual characteristics and the economic situation of the profession were found to positively affect the voluntary choice of the nursing profession.

Keywords: Nursing; baccalaureate; education; students; professional

Introduction

The image of nursing is one of the most important factors that enables the professionalization of nursing, which has 150 years of history in the world (Çınar & Demir, 2009; Dost & Bahçecik, 2015; Özdelikara, Boğa & Çayan, 2015). It is stated that the society's view of the nursing profession affects nurses' perception towards their profession, career choice, self-esteem, job satisfaction and job performance. (Fouda, Sleem, & Mohamed, 2016; Girvin et al., 2016; Johnson et al., 2012; Takase et al., 2002; Valizadeh et al., 2014). It is also reported that the perceived nursing image in the society affects the students' choice of nursing profession (Hoeve et al. 2014; Miller & Cummings, 2009). However, it is emphasized that the negative attitudes of families and career counselors towards the nursing image prevent students from choosing the nursing profession (Cabanis, 2011; Fouda et al., 2016; Neilson & McNally, 2013).

Determining the nursing image for nursing students and evaluating their preference for the profession is important for their future professional life, career development, status of continuing or quitting the profession, and communication with patients (Chauke et al., 2015; Çelik et al., 2013; Dost & Bahçecik, 2015; Johnson et al., 2012). In Turkey, it was observed that nursing students prefer the profession unintentionally and do not have adequate knowledge about nursing (Elibol & Seren 2017; Sarıtaş et al., 2014; Sabancıoğulları & Doğan, 2011; Şirin et al., 2008; Tunç et al., 2010).

The main reason for this reluctance is stated to be the negative nursing image in the society (Girvin et al., 2016; Maymoun & Sohail, 2020; Özkan et al., 2017). The results of the study are not generalizable to the whole community due to the fact that the studies conducted to determine the perceived professional image of nursing students are usually single-centered studies with small samples (Özkan et al., 2017; Temel et al., 2018).

This research was planned as a multi-center study to determine the effect of perceptions of the nursing profession image on nursing students' preference for the profession.

Method

Study Design, Sample and Settings

This study uses the descriptive multi-centered research design. The study population consisted of 991 freshman baccalaureate students enrolled in the Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences and School of Health Nursing Department of two private and four state universities in Turkey and Cyprus in the fall semester of the 2018-2019 academic year. Of the study population, 88.1% was reached. Without any sample selection, 874 freshman nursing students of faculty of nursing, faculty of health science nursing department and school of health nursingdepartment students who volunteered to participate in the research were included in the study.

Data Collection Tools

A two-part questionnaire was used as the data collection tool.

a) Introductory Information Form: The form, prepared by the researchers in accordance with the literature, contains 16 closed-ended questions to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics of the students and their views on the nursing profession (Dost & Bahçecik, 2015; Glerean et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2015).

b) Image of Nursing Profession Scale: The scale, developed by Dost and Bahçecik (2015), consists of six sub-scales and 42 items. The Likert-type scale has 11 items in the professional qualifications sub-scale, 10 items in the working conditions sub-scale, 8 items in the gender sub-scale, 5 items in the education sub-scale, 5 items in the professional status sub-scale, and 3 items in the external image sub-scale. The scale is scored by "Strongly agree: 5 points", "Agree: 4 points", "Neutral: 3 points", "Disagree: 2 points", "Strongly disagree: 1 point". Negative items in the scale include the items numbered 8, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29 and 31. Responses of negative items on the scale were reverse coded. The scores on the scale range from 42 to 210. As the score from the scale increases, nurses' perceptions of their professional image also increase positively. The Cronbach's Alpha value of the scale was 0.885 (Dost & Bahçecik, 2015).

Data Collection

The study data were collected on September 24-28, 2018, the first week of the academic year. In order to determine the intelligibility and usability of the prepared questionnaire, a pilot study was applied to 100 students, which is 10% of the target sample size. It was determined that the statements in the questionnaire were understandable and therefore no modification was necessary. The questionnaire and the scale were applied to students in a classroom setting using the face-to-face interview technique. Filling the questionnaires lasted 15-20 minutes on average.

Data Analysis

SPSS 25.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), a statistical package program used in social sciences, was used for the analysis of the study data. Number, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used for the data representation. Suitability of the data for the normal distribution was tested by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The data with normal distribution were tested by independent samples t-test for two groups and one-way analysis of variance. For the results, p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Ethical Consideration

In order to collect study data, approval of the Ethics Committee of the Nursing Faculty of a university (05-03/118-2018), written consents of the nursing students and permissions from the studied universities were obtained.

Results

Characteristics of the Nursing Students

The average age of the nursing students included in the study was 19.09±1.87 years, and 77.3% was female. Of the students, 73.3% (n=641) was studying at a state university, 26.7% (n=233) was studying at a private university, 48.0% (n=420) was at the Faculty of Nursing, 42.6% (n=372) was at the Faculty of Health Sciences, and 9.4% (n=82) was at the School of Health. Looking at the cities of the students, where they received education, 30.2% (n=264) was studying at Izmir-Turkey, 21.5% (n=188) was at Manisa-Turkey, 17.8% (n=156) was Nicosia-Cyprus, 12.2% (n=107) was at Afyonkarahisar-Turkey, 9.4% (n=82) was Adıyaman-Turkey, and 8.8% (n=77) was at Istanbul-Turkey.

Nursing Students Perceptions of the Nursing Profession Image

The factors about the nursing students' perceptions of the nursing profession image, 21.2% (n=185) had a healthcare professional in the family, and 19.8% (n=173) had a nurse in the family. Of the students 75.4% (n=659) was found to choose the nursing department willingly, and 52.0% (n=454) chose it in the first place, according to the university entrance exam results. The students, 64.7% (n=565) preferred the nursing profession because of the possibility of finding a job. Of the students, 85.5% (n=747) was glad to choose the nursing profession. The students, 31.0% (n=271) were hospitalized before beginning nursing education, while 30.8% (n=269) received nursing care before beginning nursing education. Of the students, 79.5% (n=695) was found to consider the image of the profession while choosing the nursing department. The distribution of the nursing students according to their socio-demographic characteristics is presented in Table 1.

Table 1 Distribution of nursing students according to their socio-demographic characteristics. 

Sociodemographic Characteristics Mean ± SD Min. - Max.
Age 19,09±1,87 17 - 50
(n) (%)
Gender
Female 676 77,3
Male 198 22,7
High School Graduation
Anatolian High School 555 63,5
Health Vocational High School 108 12,4
Vocational High School 46 5,2
Other 165 18,9
The University Studying
State 641 73,3
Private 233 26,7
Undergraduate Programs
Faculty of Nursing 420 48,0
Faculty of Health Sciences Nursing Department 372 42,6
School of Health Sciences Nursing Department 82 9,4
Cities
İzmir (Turkey) 264 30,2
Manisa(Turkey) 188 21,5
Nicosia (Cyprus) 156 17,8
Afyonkarahisar(Turkey) 107 12,2
Adıyaman(Turkey) 82 9,4
İstanbul (Turkey) 77 8,8
Health Employee in the Family
Yes 185 21,2
No 689 78,8
Nurse in the Family
Yes 173 19,8
No 701 80,2
Order of Choosing Nursing Department in Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) Preferences
1. Preference 454 52,0
2. Preference 84 9,6
3. Preference 38 4,3
4. Preference 44 5,0
5. Preference 46 5,3
6. and Lower Preference 208 23,8
Choosing Nursing Department Willingly
Yes 659 75,4
No 215 24,6
Reason for Choosing Nursing Profession
Possibility of Finding a Job 565 64,7
Good Economic Aspect 46 5,3
Good Social Status 79 9,0
Family Request 56 6,4
Incorrect Preferences 21 2,4
Other 107 12,2
Satisfaction of Being in Nursing Profession
I am satisfied 747 85,5
I am not satisfied 127 14,5
Hospitalization Before Starting Nursing Education
Yes 271 31,0
No 603 69,0
Getting Nursing Care Before Starting Nursing Education
Yes 269 30,8
No 605 69,2
Thinking Image of the Profession While Preferring Nursing
Yes 695 79,5
No 179 20,5
TOTAL 874 100,0

The Image of Nursing Profession Scale Scores

The average score of the nursing students on the Image of Nursing Profession Scale was found 152.2±11.4 points. When the sub-scales of the scale were examined, their scores were 46.2±4.1 points in the professional qualifications sub-scale, 28.0±3.4points in the working conditions sub-scale, 27.7±4.3 points in the gender sub-scale, 19.9±2.1points in the education sub-scale, 18.3±4.1points in the professional status sub-scale, and 11.9±2.7 points in the external image sub-scale. The distributions of the nursing profession image scale score and the sub-scale score averages were presented in Table 2.

There was no statistically significant difference between the average scores in the Image of Nursing Profession Scale in terms of the high schools, where the students have been graduated from, the universities they studied at, presence of a healthcare professional or nurse in the family, the rank of choosing the nursing department in the university entrance exam results, the status of previous hospitalization, and the status of receiving nursing care before (p>.05).

Table 2 Distribution of the nursing profession image scale score and the sub-scale score averages 

Scale Items and Average Points I never agree I do not agree I am undecided I agree I totally agree
(n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%)
Professional Status (mean±sd. 46.2±4.1; min.27-max.52)
1. Nursing is an indispensable profession for person and community health. 3 0,3 5 0,6 27 3,1 258 29,5 581 66,5
2.Nurses are an indispensable member of the healthcare team. - - 4 0,5 14 1,6 220 25,1 636 72,8
3. Nursing is a science-based profession. - - 10 1,1 61 7,0 315 36,0 488 55,9
4.Nurses is a profession based on skill. 4 0,5 11 1,3 49 5,5 256 29,3 554 63,4
Nursing is a profession that requires creativity. 11 1,3 60 6,8 182 20,8 302 34,6 319 36,5
6. Nursing is a profession that requires multi-directional communication. 2 0,2 7 0,8 18 2,1 221 25,3 626 71,6
7. Nursing is a profession that requires dedication. 3 0,3 1 0,1 18 2,1 225 25,7 627 71,8
8. Nursing is a profession that requires patience. 5 0,6 1 0,1 11 1,3 134 15,3 723 82,7
9. Nurses are healthcare professionals who spend the most time with patients. 3 0,3 10 1,1 38 4,4 184 21,1 639 73,1
10. Nurses are the patients' mentors / counselors. 5 0,6 16 1,8 46 5,3 280 32,0 527 60,3
11. Nurses are aware of their social responsibilities. 11 1,3 28 3,2 125 14,3 287 32,8 423 48,4
Working Conditions (mean±sd. 28.0 ±3.4; min.19-max.40)
12. Nurses' job opportunities are high. 5 0,6 11 1,3 84 9,6 417 47,7 357 40,8
13. The working areas of the nurses are very wide. (Hospital, school, workplace, etc.) 7 0,8 15 1,7 64 7,3 337 38,6 451 51,6
14. The workload of nurses is high. 1 0,1 6 0,7 48 5,5 218 24,9 601 68,8
15. Job description of nursing has not been determined sufficiently. 41 4,7 151 17,3 244 27,9 234 26,8 204 23,3
16. Nursing requires the use of technology. 4 0,5 26 3,0 166 19,0 347 39,7 331 37,8
17. Nurses' wages are low. 10 1,1 68 7,8 212 24,3 238 27,2 346 39,6
18. Working conditions of nurses are heavy. 3 0,3 10 1,1 95 11,0 246 28,1 520 59,5
19. Nursing is a profession that requires teamwork. 4 0,5 16 1,8 47 5,4 252 28,8 555 63,5
20. Nurses are working more hours. 2 0,2 16 1,8 94 10,8 243 27,8 519 59,4
21. Nursing is a profession with a high risk of exposure to violence. 12 1,4 29 3,3 97 11,1 278 31,8 458 52,4
Gender (mean±sd. 27.7 ±4.3; min.12-max.40)
22. Nursing is a profession associated with the caring and healing role of women. 69 8,0 71 8,1 112 12,8 272 31,1 350 40,0
23. The fact that nurses are women affects the independence of the nursing profession negatively. 191 21,8 158 18,1 177 20,3 179 20,5 169 19,3
24. Only women should be in the nursing profession. 552 63,2 231 26,4 54 6,2 12 1,4 25 2,8
25. Only men should be in the nursing profession. 594 68,0 205 23,4 36 4,1 18 2,1 21 2,4
Scale Items and Average Points I never agree I do not agree I am undecided I agree I totally agree
(n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%)
26. Men do the nursing profession better than women. 476 54,5 213 24,4 113 12,9 36 4,1 36 4,1
27. With the participation of male members in nursing profession, negative perceptions about nursing are reduced. 99 11,3 76 8,7 171 19,6 315 36,0 213 24,4
28. Having men in nursing profession makes it easier for nurses to defend their legal rights better. 163 18,6 152 17,4 219 25,1 190 21,7 150 17,2
29. Having men in nursing profession increases the social status of nursing. 189 21,6 126 14,4 174 19,9 208 23,8 177 20,3
Education (mean±sd. 19.9±2.1; min.11-max.25)
30. Nursing requires university-level education. 7 0,8 17 1,9 40 4,6 172 19,7 638 73,0
31.Differences between education levels of nurses affect nursing negatively. 24 2,7 40 4,6 150 17,2 256 29,3 404 46,2
32. Nursing requires scientific education. 4 0,5 7 0,8 59 6,7 256 29,3 548 62,7
33. Nursing requires continuing education. 5 0,6 18 2,1 104 11,9 267 30,5 480 54,9
34. Nurses work based on scientific knowledge for the health of patients. 3 0,3 11 1,3 65 7,4 261 29,9 534 61,1
Professional Status (mean±sd. 18.3±4.1; min.5-max.25)
35. Nursing is a profession well known / known in the society. 13 1,5 58 6,6 104 12,0 260 29,7 439 50,2
36. Nursing is a respected profession in the society. 41 4,7 106 12,1 243 27,8 257 29,4 227 26,0
37. Nursing is a profession that is appreciated by the society. 24 2,7 99 11,3 231 26,4 288 33,0 232 26,6
38. Nursing is a profession that is respected by those belonging to other health professions. 31 3,5 100 11,4 259 29,7 287 32,9 197 22,5
39. Nursing has prestige equivalent to other healthcare professions. 63 7,2 182 20,8 273 31,2 199 22,8 157 18,0
External Appearance (mean±sd. 11.9±2.7 min.3-max.15)
40. Nurses are polite, kind people are. 20 2,3 50 5,7 198 22,6 288 33,0 318 36,4
41. Nurses are good-humored people. 23 2,6 54 6,2 211 24,2 267 30,5 319 36,5
42. Nurses are well-maintained people. 21 2,4 38 4,3 172 19,7 286 32,7 357 40,9
Scale for the Image of Nursing Profession (mean±sd.152.2 ± 11.4; min.97-max.182)

The Image of Nursing Profession Scale score averages were found to be higher in female students than male students, in nursing students who study in the Faculty of Health Sciences than the students who study in the Faculty of Nursing and the School of Health, in students who choose the nursing department willingly than the students who choose the nursing department unintentionally, in students who are satisfied to be in the nursing profession than the students who are not satisfied, in students who chose the nursing profession due to its better social status than the students with other reasons, with a statistically significant difference (p<.05). Table 3 shows the comparison between the nursing profession image scale score averages, socio-demographic characteristics and perceived nursing image factors.

Table 3 Comparison between the nursing profession image scale score averages, socio-demographic characteristics and perceived nursing image factors 

Socio-demographic Characteristics Scale Total Score Mean ± SD Statistical Value
Gender
Female 153,0 ± 10,8 t=3,877 p<0,001
Male 149,5 ± 13,0
Undergraduate Programs
Faculty of Nursing 150,9 ± 12,2 F=6,883 p=0,001
Faculty of Health 153,9 ± 10,3
School of Health Sciences 151,2 ± 11,6
Choosing Nursing Department Willingly
Yes 154,6 ± 10,0 t=11,729 p<0,001
No 144,8 ± 12,5
Satisfaction of Being in Nursing Profession
I am satisfied 153,9 ± 10,3 t=10,969 p<0,001
I am not satisfied 142,5 ± 13,0
Thinking Image of the Profession While Preferring Nursing
Yes 153,5 ± 10,6 t=6,883 p<0,001
No 147,4 ± 13,1
Reason for Choosing Nursing Profession
Possibility of Finding a Job 157,0 ± 9,4 F=13,748 p<0,001
Good Economic Aspect 152,4 ± 11,3
Good Social Status 150,2 ± 11,2
Family Request 145,8 ± 12,2
Incorrect Preferences 139,2 ± 12,8
Other 154,5 ± 9,9

Discussion

As a result of the study, the nursing students were found to have a good level of perceptions of professional image towards the nursing profession. In the small number of studies on the subject in Turkey, students' perceptions towards the image of nursing profession were found to be moderate (Özkan et al., 2017) and good level (Dost & Bahçecik, 2015; Özdelikara et al., 2015), and they were found to perceive the nursing profession positively (Özakgül et al., 2017; Temel et al. 2018).

There was no statistically significant difference between the status of having a healthcare professional or nurses in the families of the students and the nursing profession image scale score averages. Studies have shown that having a healthcare professional or a nurse in students' families does not have an impact on the image of nursing, but leads to positive views on general professional qualifications (Abbas et al., 2020; Özkan et al., 2017; Temel et al., 2018). The study findings are parallel with similar studies conducted in Turkey.

In the study, the major reason for preferring the nursing profession was the ease of finding a job, as expressed by the students. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the image scale score averages of the students who preferred the profession because of the possibility of finding a job and the students who did not. In the studies, the students were found to choose the nursing profession mostly due to the higher employment opportunity, and a significant relationship was found between the professional image score averages (Glerean et al., 2017; Degazon et al, 2015). In the study of Law and Arthur (2003), the majority of students stated that they chose nursing due to the interest towards the profession. In the study by Özkan et al. (2017), 37.5% of the students were found to strongly agree with the statement "Nurses have more career opportunities". In the study, it was found that the students who chose the nursing profession because of its good social status had higher overall score averages on the image scale for the nursing profession, and that the difference was statistically significant. In addition, it was found that students who considered the image of the profession while choosing nursing had higher overall score averages on the image of the nursing profession scale than other students, and that the difference was statistically significant. In the majority of the studies on the subject, it is observed that the students prefer the nursing profession due to the higher opportunity of finding a job (Glerean et al., 2017; Glerean et al., 2019; Özkan et al., 2017). Therefore, it is believed that young people take this issue into consideration when choosing the profession and make their profession choices based on concerns about employment (Elmorshedy et al., 2020; Glerean et al., 2019; Liaw et al., 2016).

In the study, it was found that the students received the highest score from the 'professional qualification' sub-scale. Most of the students were found to agree to the expression 'Nursing is a profession that requires patience' in this sub-scale. The majority of nursing students have stated that patience is a characteristic that nurses should have (Özkan et al., 2017). Studies show that nursing students have a positive attitude towards the professional qualifications and the perceived image of the profession (Glerean et al., 2019; Elibol &Seren, 2017; Özakgül et al., 2017). The results of our study are in line with the literature.

When the 'working conditions’, sub-scale was examined, it was found that the majority of students agree the statements "Nurses' workload is high", "Nurses have more career opportunities", and "Nurses have heavy working conditions". In the study by Özkan et al. (2017), more than half of the students were found to strongly agree with the statement "Nurses have heavy working conditions'', and a few of the students were found to strongly agree with the statement "Nurses have more career opportunities". In their study, Kiwanuka (2010) found this rate as 78%. Although it is known that the nursing profession has heavy working conditions, it is among the preferred professions due to more opportunities to find a job (Abbas et al., 2020; Glerean et al. 2019; Wu et al., 2015).

In the study, when the 'gender' sub-scale was examined, the students' agreement rate for the statements 'Only women should be in the nursing profession' and 'Only men should be in the nursing profession' was found to be very low. The society's perspective on the nursing profession is changing with the increase in the number of male nurses in recent years. It can be stated that the professional sexist approach is gradually diminishing in societies, which has a patriarchal cultural structure (Abbas et al., 2020; Girvin et al., 2016).

The World Health Organization (2009) and the Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey (2007) assert that only those who have four years of undergraduate education should be granted the right to receive a nurse's title. In the study, when the education sub-scale of the Image of Nursing Profession Scale was examined, the majority of students were found to agree with the expression "Nursing requires university-level education". In line with these results, it can be stated that nursing students base their professional knowledge and skills on a scientific basis.

When we look at the "professional status" sub-scale in the study, it was found that the majority of students agreed the expressions 'Nursing is a well-known/recognized profession in the society', 'Nursing is a respected profession in the society', and 'Nursing is a profession appreciated by the society'. In the literature, nursing students have reported a lack of appreciation and respect towards the nursing profession (Abbas et al., 2020; Chauke et al., 2015; Elmorshedy et al., 2020). It can be stated that nursing students are influenced by society's perception of nursing.

Limitations of the study

The study was restricted to nursing students of six universities. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized to all nursing students. The application of the study to a larger number of nursing students with the same questionnaire may yield different results.

Conclusion

As a result, the nursing students were found to have a good level of perceptions of professional image towards the nursing profession. Female students, the students who chose the nursing department willingly, students who were glad to be in the nursing profession, who considered the social status of the profession while choosing the nursing profession, and the students who preferred the profession due to its better social status were found to have higher average scores in the Image of Nursing Profession Scale compared to other students.

Individual characteristics and the economic situation of the profession positively affect the voluntary choice of the nursing profession. It is believed that giving educators the chance to take the right initiatives at the necessary and the right time during the educational period and revealing the relationship between profession preference and attitudes towards the profession will increase students' positive attitudes towards their profession and thus will allow educating qualified nurses.

Implication for nursing and health policy

Shortage for healthcare professionals is increasing rapidly all over the world. The number of nurses is insufficient to provide adequate and quality care. The results of this study, which investigated the effect of perceptions of professional image on the profession preferences of nursing students, will shed a light to further studies on the factors affecting the choice of profession. The results of this multi-centered study, which was conducted in six different universities, are believed to contribute positively to the planning to be carried out to improve the image of the nursing profession.

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Recibido: 02 de Noviembre de 2021; Aprobado: 25 de Agosto de 2022

Creative Commons License Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons

Creative Commons License Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons

Creative Commons License Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons

Creative Commons License Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons

Creative Commons License Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons

Creative Commons License Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons

Creative Commons License Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons

Creative Commons License Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons