Interest in nursing among academic degree holders in Israel: A cross-sectional quantitative study.
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 academic degrees. In order to recruit academic 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 academic 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 Tel Aviv University.


PARTICIPANTS
A convenience sample of 522 individuals with an academic education, men and women, aged 18-60 and equally distributed between Jewish and Arab Israelis, took part in the study.


METHODS
Participants 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, women, 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 people with an academic education. Recruitment strategies should be tailored to each of this population's subgroups.
['Ben Natan|Merav|M|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D002321:Career Choice D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate D005006:Ethnicity D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007557:Israel D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009726:Nurses D009729:Nursing D015402:Nursing Education Research D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires D055815:Young Adult
Nursing Graduate entry nursing programs Perception of nurses Questionnaire Career choice