Factors affecting the formation of negative attitudes in undergraduate nursing students towards their profession: A content analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: The attitude of nursing students towards their profession is one of the important factors that have many effects on students and their professional future. A positive attitude leads to academic progress, and in the future, nurses with professional commitment will enter the labour market, and on the contrary, a negative attitude can lead to withdrawal from education and job burnout. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors affecting the formation of negative attitudes in undergraduate nursing students towards their profession. Methodology: This study was conducted with a qualitative research method and with a content analysis approach in 1400 in nursing and midwifery schools in Tehran. In order to collect data, 21 people were selected by purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted with them. The interviews were recorded and transcribed on paper and analysed. Findings: Information in 4 main categories and 11 sub-categories, including defects in the structure of the organisation (including the sub-categories of discrimination, job problems, financial problems, defective organisational management, unfavourable professional communication), inefficient educational system (including the sub-category of defects in clinical education and educational supervision), individual factors (including the sub-classes of lack of interest and low self-esteem), and community beliefs (including the sub-classes of low social value and ignorant society), was included. Conclusion: Various reasons are involved in the formation of a negative attitude towards the nursing profession, and in most cases, these factors are related to the problems of the profession and the educational problems of the profession, which can be solved by adjusting some factors and paying more attention to the profession from upstream organisations. It has raised the nursing profession and improved the conditions of nurses, and in the future, the attitude towards the nursing profession will be improved and can lead to the improvement of the health of the society.