Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of university students about the nursing profession.
Material and Methods: Descriptive type of study was conducted in a state university located in the north-west of Turkey. This study included students studying at a four-year high school and faculty not related to health. Stratified sampling method was used as sampling method. Each of the high school and faculties was evaluated as a stratum. The study was completed with 1876 students. The data of the research were collected with the “Perception of Nursing Profession Scale” and “Student Identification Form”.
Results: The participating students in the study consisted of 64.0% female students and 36.0% male students. The mean age of the students 20.87±1.80. It was found that 7.1% of students had a chronic disease, 32.5% had history of hospitalization, and 39.3% had healthcare professionals in their family and among their relatives. Students' Perception of Nursing Profession Scale score mean was 82.65±12.62. It was found that the scale total score average of the students changed according to gender, the faculty of education, the presence of a healthcare professional in the family, the thought of choosing the nursing profession in choosing a profession, and the opinion of the society about the nursing profession (p<0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results of the research, it can be said that the perception of nursing profession of university students is moderately positive.