Exploring the motivations, challenges, and career decisions of young nursing students
When one Polish nursing student told researchers about her choice of career, even her own mother responded: "She thinks I am crazy and could not have chosen a worse job" 4 . Yet, despite such discouragement, she and countless other young people worldwide are choosing nursing as their profession, drawn by factors that might surprise those outside the healthcare system.
This shortage makes understanding the motivations of nursing students more than academic—it's essential for healthcare survival. Why would young people enter a profession known for its emotional and physical demands, especially when they often face discouragement from the very nurses already working in the field?
A recent qualitative study from Poland provides fascinating insights into this paradox, following thirty nursing students through their educational journey to understand what initially drew them to nursing and what factors influence their decision to stay in the profession after graduation 1 2 5 . Their stories reveal the complex interplay of personal calling, practical considerations, and the search for meaningful work that characterizes the next generation of nurses.
The decision to pursue nursing rarely stems from a single factor. Instead, students describe a convergence of influences that gradually steers them toward the profession.
For many students, previous experiences with the healthcare system—either as patients or as family members of patients—provided their first meaningful exposure to nursing 1 5 .
Television medical dramas sometimes play a surprising role in career choices. More influential than television, however, are real-life nurses whom students know personally.
Family encouragement often emphasizes practical advantages, with one student noting her family encouraged nursing because "you will have a good choice of jobs" 4 .
| Factor Category | Specific Influences | Example from Study |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Experiences | Previous healthcare exposure, caring for ill relatives | Grandfather's illness sparking career interest |
| Social Influences | Family encouragement, friends in healthcare, having nurse relatives | Family emphasizing good job prospects |
| Media Representations | Medical television dramas, positive portrayals of healthcare | Watching House, M.D. and admiring medical mysteries |
| Practical Considerations | Job security, diverse career paths, financial stability | Awareness of nursing's many specialization options |
To systematically investigate why young people choose nursing and whether they plan to stay, researchers conducted thirty semi-structured interviews with final-year nursing students at Poznan University of Medical Sciences in Poland 1 5 .
The research team used thematic analysis to identify patterns across the interviews, with two researchers independently coding the data to ensure reliability 1 . This method is particularly valuable for exploring complex human decisions where quantitative methods might miss important nuances.
semi-structured interviews conducted
The student interviews revealed nursing candidates as thoughtful decision-makers weighing both the rewards and challenges of their chosen profession.
"It is hard work, 12 h a day. We work from the morning until the evening, or vice versa, when there are night shifts, and this worries me very much, and I am afraid of it" 4 .
"Nursing offers many paths you can follow - you can be on the wards, you can be in primary care, you can be a hospice nurse" 4 .
Qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews to capture rich narratives about career choices and perspectives.
Thirty final-year nursing students from Poznan University of Medical Sciences in Poland.
Thematic analysis with independent coding by two researchers to ensure reliability.
Identification of key factors influencing nursing career decisions and retention.
Perhaps the most surprising finding concerned the social resistance many students faced after announcing their career choice.
Rather than receiving encouragement, they frequently found themselves defending their decision against skeptical family members, friends, and even practicing nurses 1 4 .
"Often, the nurses (older ones) have such an approach: My God, child, what are you doing? Such a young girl! Go work in the office!" 4 .
These encounters with disillusioned practicing nurses created significant emotional strain for students still developing their professional identity.
Perceived sources of discouragement for nursing students
| Source of Discouragement | Nature of Negative Reaction | Impact on Students |
|---|---|---|
| Family Members | Questioning career choice, suggesting alternatives | Feeling misunderstood in career motivations |
| Practicing Nurses | Warning against profession, expressing regret | Creating fear about future job satisfaction |
| General Society | Perceiving nursing as low-status work | Forcing students to defend career choice |
| Older Generations | Holding stereotypical views of nursing | Creating generational divide in perceptions |
As students progressed through their education and clinical training, several key factors emerged as crucial to their decision about whether to enter the profession after graduation.
The quality of interpersonal relationships among healthcare staff proved to be a significant factor in students' career decisions.
"Something that discourages [from starting work in the profession]? Such a toxic environment. I am so afraid of this" 4 .
Students also expressed concern about resource shortages and their impact on both patient care and job satisfaction.
"It depends largely on the hospital and the ward because some are clearly underfinanced. There are equipment shortages. Nurses have to work very hard to make up for that" 4 .
Students demonstrated clear-eyed awareness of nursing's emotional and physical demands, particularly the challenging 12-hour shifts that dominate hospital staffing 4 .
Typical shift duration
Job security rating
Yet they balanced these concerns against the profession's practical advantages, including job security and diverse career paths 1 5 .
Financial considerations played a complex role in their calculations. While few viewed nursing as a path to wealth, many appreciated the financial stability it offered—especially compared to other fields requiring similar education lengths 4 .
| Encouraging Factors | Discouraging Factors | Potential Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Diverse career paths available | Toxic work environments | Improve workplace culture and staff relationships |
| Financial stability and job security | Equipment and resource shortages | Increase healthcare funding and resource allocation |
| Feeling prepared through education | Physical and emotional burden | Implement better shift structures and mental health support |
| Supportive interpersonal relations among staff | Negative reactions from society and family | Enhance professional prestige through public awareness |
The motivations and concerns of these Polish nursing students mirror findings from international studies on nursing recruitment and retention.
A 2023 systematic review of nurses' motivations for leaving the profession identified four major factors: challenging work environments, emotional distress, disappointment about nursing reality, and cultures of hierarchy and discrimination 3 .
These common themes across different healthcare systems suggest that solutions to the nursing shortage will require global strategies rather than isolated national initiatives. The World Health Organization has repeatedly emphasized the need for coordinated international action on healthcare workforce planning, particularly as developed countries often address their shortages by recruiting nurses from developing nations, creating "brain drain" that exacerbates global health disparities.
Major factors identified for nurses leaving the profession
Public awareness campaigns highlighting nursing's expertise and critical healthcare role.
Work environments that reduce the "toxic environments" students fear.
Opportunities within nursing to leverage the diversity of paths that students find appealing.
Address equipment and staffing shortages that discourage potential nurses.
The stories of these Polish nursing students reveal a profession at a crossroads.
While nursing continues to attract idealistic young people drawn to meaningful work that combines scientific knowledge with human connection, the profession also faces significant challenges in retaining these new recruits.
Perhaps the most encouraging finding from the study is the realistic optimism displayed by students. They acknowledge nursing's real challenges while appreciating its unique rewards.
As healthcare systems worldwide grapple with persistent nursing shortages, listening to these future nurses may provide the key to creating a profession that can attract and retain the next generation.
Their voices suggest that despite the obstacles, nursing continues to represent what one student called "the thought that maybe this was it"—a career path that combines practical job prospects with the profound satisfaction of making a difference in people's most vulnerable moments 4 .