Abstract
Background: Globally, there is a nursing shortage, along with a rapidly ageing workforce and fewer school leavers entering the profession. To address recruitment concerns and provide context to Aotearoa New Zealand, this review focuses on secondary school students, who are predictably at the start of their career journey. The considerations of young people choosing a career and motivational theories were primarily examined, along with the role of a nurse, and the perceptions of that role.
Aim: To understand the motivations of secondary school students' for choosing a career in nursing.
Method: Following Whittemore and Knafl's framework (2005) five step integrative review process, four databases were used to search for primary literature. After surpassing the inclusion/exclusion criteria and Joanna Briggs Institute (2011) critical appraisal tools for data evaluation, fourteen articles were identified for inclusion and data extraction. Subsequently, a narrative data analysis was conducted.
Results: Three themes and seven subthemes resulted. Theme one was the push factors that drive secondary school students towards a career in nursing. Theme two consists of two subthemes that drive high school students away from career in nursing, termed pull factors. The third theme represents the barriers that prevent movement towards the nursing career. These mutual barriers: perception, influence and exposure have the potential to be changed.
Conclusions: The synthesis of themes identified that the career choice of nursing is dynamic in regards to the push and pull factors identified. Despite cultural, societal and influential differences recommendations were made with some global significance. Removing barriers, emphasising the push factors, and decreasing the pull factors through adding context, expanding knowledge and supporting concerns is therefore recommended. portraying nursing in a positive yet realistic manner, highlighting career progression and income prospects may remove barriers to this career. Targeting secondary school students, society and media platforms to provide a current, optimistic and accurate view of nursing could improve interest in a nursing career.