PERCEPTION, ATTITUDE, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT ORIENTATION OF NURSING STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Abstract

Background: Nursing students’ perception, attitude toward the nursing profession, and career development orientation have a direct impact on training quality and long-term professional commitment after graduation.

Objectives: To assess perception, attitude toward the nursing profession, and career development orientation among nursing students at the University of Health Sciences, and to identify associated factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 426 nursing students from the first to fourth year at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Health Sciences, between September and October 2025. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire comprising four sections: personal characteristics, perception of the nursing profession, attitude toward the nursing profession, and career development orientation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests, ANOVA, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis tests with SPSS version 26.0. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The mean perception score was 88.9±13.9, and the mean attitude score was 150.2±21.7, with 73.2% of students demonstrating a positive attitude toward nursing. Career development orientation was unclear in 45.5% of students, while only 25.8% showed clear orientation. Age, academic year, reasons for choosing nursing, satisfaction with the profession, and intention to practice nursing after graduation were significantly associated with perception, attitude, and career orientation (p <0.01).

Conclusions: Most students demonstrated a fairly good level of perception and a positive attitude toward the nursing profession; however, their career development orientation remained limited. Career counseling and professional orientation activities should be strengthened and integrated throughout the training process.

Keywords: perception; attitude; career orientation; nursing students