Interest in nursing among XXXX degree holders in Israel: A cross-sectional quantitative study.

@entity9604 @entity1 @entity4207
BACKGROUND: The shortage of nurses is a global problem. One strategy for producing more registered nurses worldwide and in Israel in particular is to offer graduate entry nursing programs for individuals with non-nursing @entity4207 degrees. In order to recruit @entity4207 degree holders into the nursing profession, it is important to identify factors that might attract them. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore whether the perception of nurse characteristics by @entity4207 degree holders is associated with their interest in enrolling in a graduate entry nursing program or in recommending this program to a family member, and whether ethnic background, gender and interaction with a nurse have an effect on this interest. DESIGN: A cross-sectional quantitative study. SETTINGS: The setting of the study was on the campus of @entity9604 Aviv University. @entity1 : A convenience sample of 522 individuals with an @entity4207 education, @entity1 and @entity1 , aged 18-60 and equally distributed between Jewish and Arab Israelis, took part in the study. METHODS: @entity1 completed a questionnaire based on the Porter Nursing Image Scale. RESULTS: A moderate positive correlation was found between perception of nurses and interest in nursing (r=0.32, p<0.01). Arab Israelis, @entity1 , and individuals who have or have had interactions with nurses, viewed nurses in a more positive light and had a higher interest in nursing than their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts should be made to foster a positive public image of nursing among the population of @entity1 with an @entity4207 education. Recruitment strategies should be tailored to each of this population's subgroups.
