NURSING AS A CAREER: First year Students’ perception of and the reasons for their choice of Nursing as a career.

The purpose of this thesis was to provide information for the school authorities to be able to improve on the nursing degree program. This was done by finding out the perception of nursing career for the first year nursing students in the international program in JAMK University of Applied sciences and getting to know what influenced their choices of the nursing career. The research was carried out using qualitative research method where closed and open-ended questions were used in data collection. A total of 26 answered questionnaires. Questions asked revealed students’ understanding of the nursing career as that which involves care, help, professional skills and responsibility, their reasons for studying nursing were that it provides personal satisfaction, job security and they possess the needed potentials required of the nursing profession, and the influences for their choice of nursing career that it provides personal satisfaction, job security and they possess the needed potentials required of the nursing profession. A follow up study of the same group of students after a year or so is recommended. To find if their perceptions changed, if their expectations on their studies and career are met and what their future expectations are in the career