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Chee JMP, Rusli KDB, Tan ZYA, Tan AJQ, Ang SGM, Lau ST, Seah B, Liaw SY. Perceptions of community care among nursing students: A cross-sectional study with implications to nursing workforce. Nurse Education Today 2024; 137:106162. [PMID: 38493587 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A shift of health care services towards community care has driven the need to develop the community care nursing workforce. However, challenges exist in attracting nursing graduates to a career in community care. AIM To examine perceptions of community care and placement preference among undergraduate nursing students across different years of study in a Singapore university. METHODS This study examined perceptions of community care and placement preference among undergraduate nursing students across different years of study. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the 'Scale on COmmunity care Perceptions' (SCOPE). RESULTS Only 31.3 % of the 501 nursing students who completed the survey preferred community care placement. They rated opportunities for advancement, work status and enthusiastic colleagues in community care with relatively lower scores in the SCOPE. Students' placement preferences and year of study were predictive factors of their perceptions of community care nursing. Students who indicated their placement preference in home-based care (p < 0.001) and intermediate long-term care (p < 0.05) reported significantly positive perceptions towards community nursing as compared to students who indicated acute care as their preferred placement. Despite pre-perceived ideas among the year 1 cohort, the community care placement within their course curriculum had an impact on year 2 to 4 students' perceptions of community care. CONCLUSIONS These findings identified key strategies to increase the community care nursing workforce which include promoting a better understanding of the role of a community nurse, providing quality community placement opportunities supported by preceptors who are good role models and fostering an optimistic career outlook and advancement in community nursing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Khairul Dzakirin Bin Rusli
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11 Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, 117597 Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Zheng Yang Abel Tan
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11 Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, 117597 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Apphia Jia Qi Tan
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11 Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, 117597 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Seng Giap Marcus Ang
- Centre for Research in Aged Care, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - Siew Tiang Lau
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11 Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, 117597 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Betsy Seah
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11 Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, 117597 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sok Ying Liaw
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11 Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, 117597 Singapore, Singapore.
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