title: Career choice and perceptions of nursing among healthcare students in higher educational institutions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to the ageing population and competition from other healthcare courses, a greater demand in the healthcare workforce has made it challenging for educational institutions to attract school leavers to enter nursing courses. Understanding the considerations of students who have chosen non-nursing healthcare courses and their perceptions of nursing can help identify specific strategies to enhance the attractiveness of nursing course. This study aims to examine the differences between healthcare career choices and perceptions of nursing as a career choice among first-year non-nursing healthcare students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive survey design was conducted at the beginning of the healthcare courses of seven healthcare groups and from four higher educational institutions in Singapore. A total of 451 students responded, yielding an overall response rate of 52.7%. The online survey was administered using a valid and reliable 35-item parallel scale, known as the Healthcare Career Choice and Nursing Career Choice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants perceived prior healthcare exposure as the most influential factor and self-efficacy as the least influential factor when choosing nursing as a career. In comparison to their own healthcare career choices, nursing was perceived to have greater gender stigma and, as nurses, they would be less likely to achieve higher qualifications and career advancements, and they would be less likely to enjoy fulfilling careers. They also perceived that they would be less likely to gain their parents' support to pursue nursing and to make their parents proud.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides educators and policy-makers with vital information to develop key strategies to improve nursing enrolment in educational institutions. These strategies include early exposure to nursing as a rewarding career during school years, addressing the issue of gender stigma, and promoting information on the career and educational advancement of a registered nurse to parents of school leavers.
authors.affiliation: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Electronic address: nurliaw@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Sok Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Liaw
authors.affiliation: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Electronic address: nurwlt@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Ling Ting
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Electronic address: nurcyl@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Yeow Leng
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.affiliation: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Electronic address: siriwan_lim@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Siriwan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore. Electronic address: tankhoonkiat@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Khoon Kiat
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D002322:Career Mobility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D009729:Nursing; D012938:Social Perception; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Career choice; Healthcare course; Influential factor; Nursing enrolment; Nursing recruitment