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Table 2 Qualitative findings

From: What motivates people to commence a graduate entry nursing programme: a mixed method scoping review

Authors

Sample

Demographics

Data collection method

Types of analysis

Qualitative findings about motivation to enrol in Graduate Entry Nursing programme

DeWitty, Huerta, & Downing

3335

Average age 29; 60.8% females; 63.9% had never been married; 71.5% did not have children; most common first degree in physical sciences (28.8%); behavioural sciences (18.1%); health sciences (12.2%); 61.1% did not relocate to enrol in the graduate program.

Survey

Thematic

Open-ended responses to benefits of the New Careers in Nursing

scholarship included these five major themes: (a) financial (n = 918); (b) lower stress (n = 213); (c) goal attainment (n = 207); (d) focus on school (n = 204); and (e) program opportunities (n = 199); many reported reasons for making this transitional career shift, such as: a desire to help others through a nursing career (n = 713, 32.8%), fulfilling a long-term desire to become a nurse (n = 146, 6.7%), and flexibility of career pathways in nursing (n = 362, 16.7%).

Harding, Jamieson, Withington, Hudson, & Dixon

8

Males aged 23–39

Individual semi-structured interviews

Thematic (Braun & Clarke)

Two primary themes: (1) in search of a satisfying career; (2) the time was right

Jamieson, Harding, Withington, & Hudson

8

Males aged 23–39

Semi-structured interviews

Thematic (Braun & Clarke)

The participants were aware of two potent gender scripts with respect to nursing: (1) a dominant stereotype of nursing as women’s work, an associated devaluing of nursing work, and the gender typing of some areas of nursing as being more male appropriate; and (2) the stereotyping of men who are nurses as homosexual. Two further themes were also evident: (3) being disquieted by stereotypes that negatively characterise their career choice; and (4) that of resisting the stereotype, as all the participants spoke of their non-subscription to the script of normative masculinity.

Neill

6

Three females, three males

Electronic interview, open-ended semi-structured questions

Coding / constant data comparison (Strauss & Corbin)

Four categories were identified: long-term interest, caring, desire for change, and change anxiety.

Raines

66

Most were female (86%); 25–40 years (23%); 5–10 years since first Bachelor’s degree (82%); first degree arts and humanities (23%).

Participant written stories

Content

‘What I bring to nursing’, ‘Seeking satisfying work’, and ‘Missing pieces’.