Nursing, Midwifery and Health Officer Programs Undergraduate Students’ Attitudes towards Their Future Career: Motivating/Demotivating Professional Characteristics and Career Preferences

The objective of this study was to determine Malatya and Elazığ Health Colleges undergraduate students' attitudes towards their future career and to determine their career preferences after graduation. The study was conducted at Health Colleges of Inonu University in Malatya and Fırat University in Elazığ. Data were obtained from 634 nursing, midwifery and health officer programs students of all grades by administering a self-responded questionnaire in the classrooms between April-May 2001. The most frequently reported motivating professional characteristic was “to help people” (61.8%). “Society's negative attitude/low status” (59.5%) was the most frequently reported demotivating characteristic of the professions, followed by “uncertainty on task, employment and liability” (59.3%). More than half of the participated students (53.9%) had positive attitudes towards entrance of men in the nursing profession. Negative attitudes reported mostly by the health officer program students (P<0.05). Faculty member/lecturer at a university was the most preferred career area after graduation. Preferred professional positions were differed according to the enrolled programs (P<0.05). The study showed that the students appreciated the professional values; however they concerned about the status of the professions and preferred faculty teaching after graduation.