Global overview of factors influencing nursing students to pursue nursing career: A scoping review of the past decade with future implications

IF 3.6 2区医学 Q1 EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES

Nurse Education Today Pub Date : 2025-04-10 DOI:10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106739

Joko Gunawan , Lee Shin Syuen , Colleen Marzilli , Sok Ying Liaw

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Understanding the factors that influence nursing students' career choices is vital for tackling the nursing shortage, especially when aiming to attract, motivate, and retain individuals in the profession. However, these factors may have evolved over time, and existing literature reviews might not capture the latest changes and trends affecting the current context.

Aim

To synthesize the literature on factors influencing nursing as a career choice over the past decade.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted. The search was restricted to full-text English articles published from 2014 to 2024 in CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. The searching and screening processes were conducted from March 26th to August 5th, 2024. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method research articles that discussed nursing career choices were included. The review involved five steps: formulating the question, locating relevant studies, selecting studies, charting data, and summarizing and presenting findings. Data charting was carried out in all included studies using an extraction table. A thematic analysis approach was employed to categorize and group the factors.

Results

A total of 49 articles were selected for final analysis. The findings were grouped into six themes: 1) personal desire, 2) social influence, 3) career opportunities, 4) job flexibility, 5) nursing educational program, and 6) the impact of pandemic. These themes align with the Career Sailboat Model, highlighting how personal motivations, social dynamics, systemic factors, and unpredictable chance elements shape nursing students' decisions.

Conclusion

The review emphasizes the importance of addressing systemic barriers, enhancing diversity, and aligning nursing education with cultural and regional healthcare needs. Strategic efforts to improve accessibility, inclusivity, and collaboration can strengthen recruitment and retention, preparing nursing professionals to meet the challenges of an evolving healthcare environment.

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来源期刊

Nurse Education Today 医学-护理

CiteScore

6.90

自引率

12.80%

发文量

349

审稿时长

58 days

期刊介绍： Nurse Education Today is the leading international journal providing a forum for the publication of high quality original research, review and debate in the discussion of nursing, midwifery and interprofessional health care education, publishing papers which contribute to the advancement of educational theory and pedagogy that support the evidence-based practice for educationalists worldwide. The journal stimulates and values critical scholarly debate on issues that have strategic relevance for leaders of health care education. The journal publishes the highest quality scholarly contributions reflecting the diversity of people, health and education systems worldwide, by publishing research that employs rigorous methodology as well as by publishing papers that highlight the theoretical underpinnings of education and systems globally. The journal will publish papers that show depth, rigour, originality and high standards of presentation, in particular, work that is original, analytical and constructively critical of both previous work and current initiatives. Authors are invited to submit original research, systematic and scholarly reviews, and critical papers which will stimulate debate on research, policy, theory or philosophy of nursing and related health care education, and which will meet and develop the journal''s high academic and ethical standards.