title: Learning styles of nursing students and career choices.
abstract: Kolb's 'Learning Style Inventory' was used to examine learning characteristics of incoming nursing students (n = 166) which were then compared to those of more advanced nursing students (n = 102). A majority of students were found to have concrete learning styles. Advanced students had a greater incidence of concrete learning styles than first year students suggesting increasing concreteness with exposure to nursing education. Diploma students were found to have a higher incidence of concrete learning styles than university students. Students with concrete learning styles were more influenced by person-oriented factors in career choices than those with abstract learning styles. No relationship was found between learning style and preferred nursing specialty. Implications for nursing education are discussed.
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010551:Personality; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*