NURSING PROFESSION FROM NURSING STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract 
This research was carried out to determine the nursing students' perceptions of the nursing profession. The research is descriptive and cross-sectional. The sample of the study consisted of 183 volunteer students studying at the nursing department of a university in Izmir between October 5, 2020 - December 8, 2021. "Individual Identification Form" and "Nursing Profession Perception Scale" were used to collect data. In the evaluation of the data, descriptive statistics of qualitative variables, and non-parametric tests were used. Students' total score was 87.60 ± 9.03 from the scale, professional qualification sub-dimension score was 66.90 ± 7.46, and occupational status sub-dimension score was 20.69 ± 2.44. There is a statistically significant difference between the professional qualifications sub-dimension and the gender and class of the students. According to the status of liking the nursing profession, there is a remarkable difference between the professional qualification sub-dimension, gender, and total score of the scale. It was determined that nursing students' perception of the nursing profession is high. It is recommended to carry out further studies to improve the perceptions of nurse candidates towards the nursing profession in a positive way.