Nursing Students’ Perception of Nursing as a Career, Outcome Expectations, Job Satisfaction and Informal Workplace Learning
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: All countries face a shortage of qualified nurses. Based on the social cognitive career theory (SCCT), it is assumed that individual and environmental aspects are interlinked and determinants in career choice and vocational behaviors. This study aims to dete...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Nursing Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/15/6/213 |
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| author | Veronika Anselmann Sebastian Anselmann |
| author_facet | Veronika Anselmann Sebastian Anselmann |
| author_sort | Veronika Anselmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives</b>: All countries face a shortage of qualified nurses. Based on the social cognitive career theory (SCCT), it is assumed that individual and environmental aspects are interlinked and determinants in career choice and vocational behaviors. This study aims to determine if nursing students differ in their perceptions of nursing as a career. Furthermore, this study wants to determine if the students in a cluster differed in their outcome expectations, job satisfaction, and informal workplace learning. <b>Methods</b>: This study employed a mixed-methods design consisting of two phases: the first involving a pre-study with experts (N = 10) and the second comprising a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. The goal of the pre-study was to find relevant characteristics of the nursing profession. In a cross-sectional study with an online questionnaire, 230 nursing students (N = 230) participated. An inclusion criterion was that participants were enrolled in vocational training to become a nurse. In the questionnaire validated scales were used to ask participants about the characteristics of the nursing profession, their perceptions of nursing as a career, outcome expectations, informal workplace learning, and job satisfaction. <b>Analysis</b>: Data analysis included descriptive statistics (e.g., percentage distributions), hierarchical cluster analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). <b>Results</b>: The LCA results based on Schwarz’s BIC showed a two-cluster solution (Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) 251.984, Bayesian information criterion (BIC) 265.296, and adjusted Bayesian information criterion (aBIC) 252.622). The results of the ANOVA showed significant differences regarding outcome expectations (F = 22.738; <0.001), the perception of nursing as a career (F = 36.231; <0.001), and the engagement in informal workplace learning activities (F = 20.62; <0.001). For job satisfaction, no significant differences were found. <b>Conclusions</b>: Nursing vocational education and training is a vital socialization process in which supervisors can arrange a positive learning climate. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8e7287193df54cb4bbd2610172583343 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2039-439X 2039-4403 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nursing Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-8e7287193df54cb4bbd26101725833432025-08-20T03:29:39ZengMDPI AGNursing Reports2039-439X2039-44032025-06-0115621310.3390/nursrep15060213Nursing Students’ Perception of Nursing as a Career, Outcome Expectations, Job Satisfaction and Informal Workplace LearningVeronika Anselmann0Sebastian Anselmann1Institute for Nursing Science, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, 73525 Schwaebisch Gmuend, GermanyInstitute for Education, Vocation and Technique, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, 73525 Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany<b>Background/Objectives</b>: All countries face a shortage of qualified nurses. Based on the social cognitive career theory (SCCT), it is assumed that individual and environmental aspects are interlinked and determinants in career choice and vocational behaviors. This study aims to determine if nursing students differ in their perceptions of nursing as a career. Furthermore, this study wants to determine if the students in a cluster differed in their outcome expectations, job satisfaction, and informal workplace learning. <b>Methods</b>: This study employed a mixed-methods design consisting of two phases: the first involving a pre-study with experts (N = 10) and the second comprising a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. The goal of the pre-study was to find relevant characteristics of the nursing profession. In a cross-sectional study with an online questionnaire, 230 nursing students (N = 230) participated. An inclusion criterion was that participants were enrolled in vocational training to become a nurse. In the questionnaire validated scales were used to ask participants about the characteristics of the nursing profession, their perceptions of nursing as a career, outcome expectations, informal workplace learning, and job satisfaction. <b>Analysis</b>: Data analysis included descriptive statistics (e.g., percentage distributions), hierarchical cluster analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). <b>Results</b>: The LCA results based on Schwarz’s BIC showed a two-cluster solution (Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) 251.984, Bayesian information criterion (BIC) 265.296, and adjusted Bayesian information criterion (aBIC) 252.622). The results of the ANOVA showed significant differences regarding outcome expectations (F = 22.738; <0.001), the perception of nursing as a career (F = 36.231; <0.001), and the engagement in informal workplace learning activities (F = 20.62; <0.001). For job satisfaction, no significant differences were found. <b>Conclusions</b>: Nursing vocational education and training is a vital socialization process in which supervisors can arrange a positive learning climate.https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/15/6/213careerlearningjob satisfactioneducationnursing |
| spellingShingle | Veronika Anselmann Sebastian Anselmann Nursing Students’ Perception of Nursing as a Career, Outcome Expectations, Job Satisfaction and Informal Workplace Learning Nursing Reports career learning job satisfaction education nursing |
| title | Nursing Students’ Perception of Nursing as a Career, Outcome Expectations, Job Satisfaction and Informal Workplace Learning |
| title_full | Nursing Students’ Perception of Nursing as a Career, Outcome Expectations, Job Satisfaction and Informal Workplace Learning |
| title_fullStr | Nursing Students’ Perception of Nursing as a Career, Outcome Expectations, Job Satisfaction and Informal Workplace Learning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nursing Students’ Perception of Nursing as a Career, Outcome Expectations, Job Satisfaction and Informal Workplace Learning |
| title_short | Nursing Students’ Perception of Nursing as a Career, Outcome Expectations, Job Satisfaction and Informal Workplace Learning |
| title_sort | nursing students perception of nursing as a career outcome expectations job satisfaction and informal workplace learning |
| topic | career learning job satisfaction education nursing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/15/6/213 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT veronikaanselmann nursingstudentsperceptionofnursingasacareeroutcomeexpectationsjobsatisfactionandinformalworkplacelearning AT sebastiananselmann nursingstudentsperceptionofnursingasacareeroutcomeexpectationsjobsatisfactionandinformalworkplacelearning |