Nurses’ and nursing students’ reasons for entering the profession: content analysis of open-ended questions

BACKGROUND: Global nursing shortages require effective recruitment strategies and understanding of individuals’ motivations to enter the profession. These can be complex and bound by numerous factors such as gender and culture. While much research around this has been conducted, little has been undertaken in non-Western cultures where motivations could be different. AIM: To explore Indonesian nurses’ and nursing students’ motivations for entering the nursing profession. DESIGN: Online survey with closed and open-ended questions drawn from two different studies. This paper reports findings from one similar open-ended question. METHODS: As part of two larger surveys, nurses from 13 hospitals across one private health care group and nursing students with clinical experienced enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program in Indonesia were asked the question, Why do you want to be a nurse? Responses were translated into English and back-translated into Indonesian prior to being subjected to summative content analysis. RESULTS: In total, 1351 nurses and 400 students provided responses to the question, representing 98.72% and 99.70% respectively of those completing the survey. Both groups were primarily influenced by desire to serve others and God, personal calling and influence of family members and others. Nurses identified a desire to work in the health field and with the sick, in a noble and caring profession. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses and nursing students were motivated by traditional perspectives on nursing. These should be considered in future recruitment activities. However, more research is needed to understand how these factors influence career choice.