Factors Influencing the Occupational Selection of Public Health Nurses among Nursing Students

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Public Health Nursing Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 163 - 171
• Main Authors: Kaneda, Yukiko, Matsuura, Haruyo, Fukino, Nobuhiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Academy of Public Health Nursing 2022; 一般社団法人 日本公衆衛生看護学会
• Subjects: nursing students; occupational selection; public health nurses; public health nursing practices; 保健師; 公衆衛生看護学実習; 看護学生; 職業選択
• ISSN: 2187-7122; 2189-7018
• DOI: 10.15078/jjphn.11.3_163

Objective: To identify the reasons which influenced the occupational selection of public health nurses among nursing students.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight public health nurses who had worked in local government agencies for a maximum of three years. The interviews were then analysed using the KJ method. The main content of the interview was related to the events that may have influenced the interviewee’s desire to become a public health nurse.Results: Answers were sorted into eight groups: (1) support from surroundings, such as teachers; (2) desire to be involved in the daily lives of people; (3) diversity of public health nursing activities; (4) meeting a role model; (5) depth of public health nursing activities; (6) seeing not only the individual, but the whole; (7) positive attitude towards building relationships with residents; and (8) feeling the health of the residents.Discussion: Interest in public health nursing increased due to the growing desire to be involved in the daily lives of people through preventive activities. The choice of occupation was then strengthened by understanding the depth of the work, meeting a role model, and feeling the liveliness of the residents. Therefore, it is necessary to create effective nursing practices. Additionally, the support of teachers has a great influence on nursing students, and it is necessary for teachers to affirm the students.