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Abstract

The rising trend in mental illness in Nigeria has led to serious concerns for healthcare providers. Even more worrisome, is the misconceptions surrounding this illness and the healthcare providers particularly nurses managing the condition. Psychiatric nurses are faced with several challenges ranging from shortage of staff to stigma from the society. Other challenges affecting psychiatric nursing is the rebuttal by nursing students to advance their careers in psychiatric nursing. These issues could be curbed if misconceptions surrounding mental illness are corrected in the society, which may in turn influence career choices of nursing students towards psychiatric nursing.