Attitudes and opinions of health care students of Medical Faculty in Banja Luka about study program and nursing as a profession

Abstract

Introduction: The level of education quality of medical health care graduates (Bachelors of Health care and Nursing) depends on curriculum quality. Knowing what motivates students to enroll medical health care studies and development of professional and academic career are of great importance for education as well as the practice. Aim of the study: To see if there is a difference in attitudes and opinions between 1st year students and 4th year students about health care study program and nursing as a profession, students motivations for enrolling the program and their expectations about possibilities to develop personally, professionally and scientifically after graduating. Patients and Methods: 55 Health care students of Medical Faculty University of Banja Luka (1st year 37 and 2nd year 18 students) were a sample. Research was conducted by using anonymous, original questionnaire which was written for the needs of this research. SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) version 20. was used for data processing, and Windows, operating system, for data analysis. Results: Conducted research shows that material component, with possibility of finding better job and willingness to care for other people are major criteria which motivate students to choose nursing study. Health care students of both generations graded study program with 3,22 ± 0,76, and there was statistically significant difference (p<0.001) concerning access to literature and companion paper. Both generations of students have positive attitudes about nursing as a profession. Majority of the students (1st year = 77,8%; 4th year = 75,7%) showed interest for further academic development after graduating the study of Health care. A large number of students chose going abroad (1st year 67,6% ; 4th year 77,8%), whereas minority of the students have desire to stay in their own country after graduating. Conclusion: Motives for enrolling the study of Health care in this country and in other countries have no significant differences, and the most frequently cited reasons are possibility of finding better job, and desire to help other people. Academic study program of Health care should be extremely high-quality and alluring enough to draw attention of young students as well as the older students.

Nursing students' attitudes about their profession

“…We reviewed scientific literature and previous research, finding a small number of studies that investigated the attitudes of nursing students toward the nursing profession in Bosnia and Herzegovina (11,12).…”

Evidence-Based Practice Teaching Integration in College Nursing Studies: Historical and Legal Aspects

“…Whatever the scale of the system is, if it does not adjust to the changing environment, it is doomed to stagnation. This also applies to the higher education system: in order to achieve the quality of studies, it is necessary to take into acount the needs of the labor market and the guidelines of the European Union (Jović, Knežević, Skrobić, Matavulj, & Vučković, 2015). Nursing education is one of the open systems that can only be viable by changing, depending on environmental challenges.…”