Use of a facilitated discussion model for antenatal care to improve communication

BackgroundAchieving health literacy is a critical step to improving health outcomes and the health of a nation. However, there is a lack of research on health literacy in low-resource countries, where maternal health outcomes are at their worst.ObjectivesTo examine the usefulness and feasibility of providing focused antenatal care (FANC) in a group setting using picture cards to improve patient–provider communication, patient engagement, and improve health literacy.DesignAn exploratory, mixed methods design was employed to gather pilot data using the Health Literacy Skills Framework.SettingsA busy urban district hospital in the Ashanti Region of Ghana was used to gather data during 2014.ParticipantsA facility-driven convenience sample of midwives (n=6) aged 18 years or older, who could speak English or Twi, and had provided antenatal care at the participating hospital during the previous year prior to the start of the study participated in the study.MethodsData were collected using pre-test and post-test surveys, completed three months after the group FANC was implemented. A semi-structured focus group was conducted with four of the participating midwives and the registered nurse providing support and supervision for the study (n=5) at the time of the post-test. Data were analyzed concurrently to gain a broad understanding of patient communication, engagement, and group FANC.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the mean communication (t(df = 3) = 0.541, p = 0.626) and engagement (t(df = 3) = −0.775, p = 0.495) scores between the pre- and post-test. However, the focus group revealed the following themes: (a) improved communication through the use of picture cards; (b) enhanced information sharing and peer support through the facilitated group process and; and (c) an improved understanding of patient concerns.ConclusionsThe improved communication noted through the use of picture cards and the enhanced information sharing and peer support elicited through the group FANC undoubtedly provided patients with additional tools to invoke self-determination, and carry out the behaviors they thought were most important to improve pregnancy outcomes.     

Functioning of women in the postpartum period: an International Classification of Functioning,Disability and Health-based consensus of physical therapists

BackgroundPhysical therapists provide treatment for pain and other common complaints for women in the postpartum period, thereby contributing to the improvement of their functioning. However, before applying any interventions, physical therapists should assess their patients to identify the desired therapeutic goals. In this context, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) may be a useful tool for documenting functioning data and operationalizing collaborative goal setting.ObjectiveTo identify ICF categories and the respective domains that should be considered in the evaluation of women postpartum.MethodsA consensus-building, three-round e-mail survey was conducted using the Delphi method. The sample included Brazilian physical therapists with expertise in women’s health. Meaningful content was analyzed in accordance to the ICF linking rules. The kappa coefficient and content validity index (CVI) were calculated.ResultsThe panel consisted of 45 participants with a median age of 33 years and more than 10 years of experience in women’s health. A total of 1261 meaningful contents were identified from the responses in the first round. After consensus was achieved, a final list of 62 items was prepared, including 53 categories (11 were on structures; 15 on body functions; 12 on activities and participation; 15 on environmental factors) and nine personal factors (CVI = 0.89).ConclusionFrom the perception of physical therapists, an ICF-based postpartum assessment to describe functioning and disability must comprise 53 ICF categories and nine personal factors.     

Assessment of self-perceived body image in female adolescents aged 12-21 years in the city of Reus (Spain)

ObjectiveTo assess the degree of body image distortion in female adolescents and evaluate its association with the social esthetic model and the adoption of dietary measures.MethodWe performed a cross sectional, observational study in a random sample of female adolescents aged 12 to 21 years old. Information was gathered via two different sources. A structured questionnaire including sociodemographic and anthropometric items was administered to determine adolescents’ desire to resemble advertising models, their satisfaction with trouser size, and whether they would follow an unsupervised diet, etc. A game consisting of 9 images of female shapes of increasing size was used to evaluate self-perceived body image. The subjects chose the shape they believed most closely resembled their own.ResultsA sample of 401 subjects with a mean age of 17.6 (standard deviation =2.6) years was evaluated. Seventy-five percent had normal weight, 11% were overweight, 13% were obese, and 0.8% were underweight. A total of 76.8% of the subjects had distorted body image and wished to look like advertising models (p < 0.001), 47.7% were dissatisfied with their trouser size (p < 0.001), and 15.3% were following special diets without supervision (p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe majority of adolescents aged between 13 and 21 years old were dissatisfied with their body image. A distorted body image translates into wanting to resemble advertising models and dissatisfaction with trouser size, which in turn leads to following unsupervised diets.     

The impact of health literacy on health outcomes in individuals with chronic pain: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo establish if health literacy (HL) is linked to poorer outcomes and behaviours in patients with chronic pain.DesignA prospective cross-sectional observational study.SettingMultidisciplinary out-patient pain clinics in three university teaching hospitals.PatientsNew patients (n = 131) referred to the pain clinic with a history of chronic pain (>12 weeks).MethodsA questionnaire was distributed to chronic pain patients attending their first appointment. Those eligible for inclusion were newly referred patients who had pain lasting longer than three months. The questionnaire comprised the following sections: demographics, chronic pain status and disease-related knowledge, quality of life (SF-36), beliefs (Beliefs About Pain Control Questionnaire), and a validated HL tool (Newest Vital Sign).ResultsOf the 131 participants recruited, 54% had inadequate HL. The group was subsequently stratified according to HL level. In bivariate analysis, inadequate HL was associated with older age (p < 0.001), being unemployed or retired (p = 0.005), less education (p < 0.001), lower income, increased comorbidities (p = 0.038), being less likely to utilise allied health services (p = 0.001), poorer disease-related knowledge (p = 0.002), and poorer beliefs about pain (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, disease-related knowledge (OR 2.5, 95%CI 1.0 to 6.3, p = 0.05) and beliefs about pain (B = −2.3, S.E = 0.9, p = 0.01) remained independently associated with HL.ConclusionInadequate HL is prevalent in chronic pain patients, and may impact on the development of certain characteristics necessary for effective self-management.     

A cross-sectional study of assessing knowledge,attitude, and practice of COVID-19 resuscitation among health care workers in a hybrid hospital for COVID-19 in Malaysia

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic is an international public health emergency. As hospitals receive more severe forms of COVID-19 that necessitate resuscitation, emergency health care workers (HCW) must follow interim COVID-19 resuscitation guidelines.ObjectiveThe aim is to evaluate the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice among emergency HCW of the COVID-19 resuscitation protocol by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC).MethodsA cross-sectional study using a validated questionnaire was conducted among HCW in the emergency department of University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Malaysia from April to June 2021.ResultsA total of 159 respondents were included in the analysis (89% response rate). Sixty-eight percent of respondents had adequate knowledge regarding COVID-19 resuscitation. Majority of the respondents had knowledge on airborne-precaution personal protective equipment (PPE) (99%) and infection control measures (98%). Nearly 73% were pessimistic about the COVID-19 prognosis. Seventy-three percent of respondents thought an arrested COVID-19 patient may benefit from cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and 94% were willing to administer CPR provided airborne-precaution PPE was available. Ninety percent of respondents reported adherence to resuscitation guidelines. There were significant differences in the mean knowledge scores between designation, education levels, and COVID-19 training. Overall, the respondents’ level of practice was insufficient (27%), with a mean score of 53.7% (SD = 14.7). There was a lack of practice in the resuscitation of the intubated and patients who were being prone. There was insufficient practice about ventilation technique, use of supraglottic devices, and intubation barriers. There was a positive correlation between adequate knowledge and good practice.ConclusionEmergency HCW have adequate knowledge, but poor compliance to the ERC COVID-19 guidelines. Emergency HCW were willing and confident to resuscitate COVID-19 patients, despite fears of nosocomial infection and expectation of poor patients’ prognosis. Ongoing education and training programs are recommended to improve their knowledge, cultivate a positive attitude, and achieve good compliance with COVID-19 resuscitation guidelines.     

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among nurses in Scotland: A cross-sectional study using the Scottish Health Survey

BackgroundIncreasing prevalence of overweight and obesity represents a global pandemic. As the largest occupational group in international healthcare systems nurses are at the forefront of health promotion to address this pandemic. However, nurses own health behaviours are known to influence the extent to which they engage in health promotion and the public's confidence in advice offered. Estimating the prevalence of overweight and obesity among nurses is therefore important. However, to date, prevalence estimates have been based on non-representative samples and internationally no studies have compared prevalence of overweight and obesity among nurses to other healthcare professionals using representative data.ObjectivesTo estimate overweight and obesity prevalence among nurses in Scotland, and compare to other healthcare professionals and those working in non-heath related occupations.DesignCross-sectional study using a nationally representative sample of five aggregated annual rounds (2008–2012) of the Scottish Health Survey.SettingScotland.Participants13,483 adults aged 17–65 indicating they had worked in the past 4 weeks, classified in four occupational groups: nurses (n = 411), other healthcare professionals (n = 320), unqualified care staff (n = 685), and individuals employed in non-health related occupations (n = 12,067).Main outcome measuresPrevalence of overweight and obesity defined as Body Mass Index ≥ 25.0.MethodsEstimates of overweight and obesity prevalence in each occupational group were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A logistic regression model was then built to compare the odds of being overweight or obese with not being overweight or obese for nurses in comparison to the other occupational categories. Data were analysed using SAS 9.1.3.Results69.1% (95% CI 64.6, 73.6) of Scottish nurses were overweight or obese. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher in nurses than other healthcare professionals (51.3%, CI 45.8, 56.7), unqualified care staff (68.5%, CI 65.0, 72.0) and those in non-health related occupations (68.9%, CI 68.1, 69.7). A logistic regression model adjusted for socio-demographic composition indicated that, compared to nurses, the odds of being overweight or obese was statistically significantly lower for other healthcare professionals (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.45, CI 0.33, 0.61) and those in non-health related occupations (OR 0.78, CI 0.62, 0.97).ConclusionsPrevalence of overweight and obesity among Scottish nurses is worryingly high, and significantly higher than those in other healthcare professionals and non-health related occupations. High prevalence of overweight and obesity potentially harms nurses’ own health and hampers the effectiveness of nurses’ health promotion role. Interventions are therefore urgently required to address overweight and obesity among the Scottish nursing workforce.     

Low literacy self-care management patient education for a multi-lingual heart failure population: Results of a pilot study

PurposeThe purpose of this pilot study was to test the impact of language-free, low literacy self-care management patient education materials in an ethnically diverse multilingual heart failure (HF) population.MethodsA one group pre-test–post-test design measured changes in self-care, knowledge and health-related quality of life (HRQL) after a 1 month intervention using language-free, low literacy self-care management patient education materials and delivered by a health educator.ResultsThe ethnically diverse sample (n = 21) was predominately male (72%), 48% Black, 42% Hispanic, and 28% marginal/inadequate literacy. There were significant improvements in self-care and knowledge but not HRQL.ConclusionsLanguage-free, low literacy self-care patient education may facilitate improved self-care and knowledge in diverse populations who are at risk for poor HF outcomes.     

New models to support the professional education of health visitors: A qualitative study of the role of space and place in creating ‘community of learning hubs’

BackgroundIn response to a policy-driven workforce expansion in England new models of preparing health visitors for practice have been implemented. ‘Community of Learning hubs’ (COLHs) are one such model, involving different possible approaches to student support in clinical practice placements (for example, ‘long arm mentoring’ or ‘action learning set’ sessions). Such models present opportunities for studying the possible effects of spatiality on the learning experiences of students and newly qualified health visitors, and on team relationships more broadly.ObjectivesTo explore a ‘community of learning hub’ model in health visitor education and reflect on the role of space and place in the learning experience and professional identity development of student health visitors.DesignQualitative research conducted during first year of implementation.SettingsThree ‘community of learning hub’ projects based in two NHS community Trusts in London during the period 2013–2015.ParticipantsManagers and leads (n = 7), practice teachers and mentors (n = 6) and newly qualified and student health visitors (n = 16).MethodsSemi-structured, audio-recorded interviews analysed thematically.ResultsParticipants had differing views as to what constituted a ‘hub’ in their projects. Two themes emerged around the spaces that shape the learning experience of student and newly qualified health visitors. Firstly, a generalised need for a ‘quiet place’ which allows pause for reflection but also for sharing experiences and relieving common anxieties. Secondly, the role of physical arrangements in open-plan spaces to promote access to support from more experienced practitioners.ConclusionsAttention to spatiality can shed light on important aspects of teaching and learning practices, and on the professional identities these practices shape and support. New configurations of time and space as part of educational initiatives can surface new insights into existing practices and learning models.     

The influence of personal dispositional factors and organizational resources on workplace violence, burnout, and health outcomes in new graduate nurses: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe alarmingly high rate of illness-related absenteeism among nurses and recent reports of workplace violence and burnout are problematic for both the current workforce shortage and the recruitment and retention of new nurses.ObjectivesTo test a model derived from Leiter and Maslach's (2004) Six Areas of Worklife Model linking workplace factors (six areas of worklife, experiences of bullying and burnout) and a personal dispositional factor (psychological capital) to new graduates mental and physical health in their first year of practice.MethodsA cross-sectional survey design was utilized to survey 165 Ontario nurses with one year or less experience in nursing. Participants completed measures of nurses’ work environment quality, psychological capital, bullying exposure, burnout, and physical and mental health. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized model.ResultsThe fit indices suggested a reasonably adequate fit of the data to the hypothesized model (χ² = 27.75, df = 12, CFI = .97, IFI = .97, RMSEA = .09), however an additional direct path from psychological capital to emotional exhaustion substantially improved the model fit (χ² = 17.94, df = 11, CFI = .99, IFI = .99, RMSEA = .06). Increased psychological capital positively influenced nurses’ perceived person-job fit, which in turn was negatively related to bullying exposure and emotional exhaustion, and ultimately influenced their physical and mental health.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that psychological capital and perceived person-job fit are key variables in new graduate nurses’ worklife, which may contribute to decreased nurses’ burnout and increased physical and mental well-being. The results support an expanded conceptualization of the Areas of Worklife Model.     

Nurses’ personal and ward accountability and missed nursing care: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundMissed nursing care is considered an act of omission with potentially detrimental consequences for patients, nurses, and organizations. Although the theoretical conceptualization of missed nursing care specifies nurses’ values, attitudes, and perceptions of their work environment as its core antecedents, empirical studies have mainly focused on nurses’ socio-demographic and professional attributes. Furthermore, assessment of missed nursing care has been mainly based on same-source methods.ObjectivesThis study aimed to test the joint effects of personal and ward accountability on missed nursing care, by using both focal (the nurse whose missed nursing care is examined) and incoming (the nurse responsible for the same patients at the subsequent shift) nurses’ assessments of missed nursing care.DesignA cross-sectional design, where nurses were nested in wards.ParticipantsA total of 172 focal and 123 incoming nurses from 32 nursing wards in eight hospitals.MethodsMissed nursing care was assessed with the 22-item MISSCARE survey using two sources: focal and incoming nurses. Personal and ward accountability were assessed by the focal nurse with two 19-item scales. Nurses' socio-demographics and ward and shift characteristics were also collected. Mixed linear models were used as the analysis strategy.ResultsFocal and incoming nurses reported occasional missed nursing care of the focal nurse (Mean = 1.87, SD = 0.71 and Mean = 2.09, SD = 0.84, respectively; r = 0.55, p < 0.01). Regarding the focal nurse's assessment of his/her own missed nursing care, findings showed that, above and beyond nurses’ overload and personal socio-demographic characteristics, higher personal accountability was significantly associated with decreased missed care (β = −0.29, p < 0.01), whereas ward accountability was not (β = −0.23, p > 0.05). The interaction effect was significant (β = −0.31, p < 0.05); the higher the ward accountability, the stronger the negative relationship between nurses' personal accountability and missed nursing care. Similar patterns were obtained for the incoming nurses' assessment of focal nurse's missed care.ConclusionsUse of focal and incoming nurses' missed nursing care assessments limited the common source bias and strengthened our findings. Personal and ward accountability are significant values, which are associated with lower missed nursing care, beyond scarce resources. Implementation of local and national education programs for nurses and managers, accompanied with empirical research, might increase personal and ward accountability, thereby decreasing missed nursing care. This might help to create a safety culture and reduce negative outcomes for patients, nurses, and organizations.     

Similarity and accuracy of mental models formed during nursing handovers: A concept mapping approach

BackgroundShared mental models are crucial for constructing mutual understanding of the patient’s condition during a clinical handover. Yet, scant research, if any, has empirically explored mental models of the parties involved in a clinical handover.ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the similarities among mental models of incoming and outgoing nurses, and to test their accuracy by comparing them with mental models of expert nurses.DesignA cross-sectional study, exploring nurses’ mental models via the concept mapping technique.Participants40 clinical handovers.Data collectionData were collected via concept mapping of the incoming, outgoing, and expert nurses’ mental models (total of 120 concept maps). Similarity and accuracy for concepts and associations indexes were calculated to compare the different maps.ResultsAbout one fifth of the concepts emerged in both outgoing and incoming nurses’ concept maps (concept similarity = 23% ± 10.6). Concept accuracy indexes were 35% ± 18.8 for incoming and 62% ± 19.6 for outgoing nurses’ maps. Although incoming nurses absorbed fewer number of concepts and associations (23% and 12%, respectively), they partially closed the gap (35% and 22%, respectively) relative to expert nurses’ maps. The correlations between concept similarities, and incoming as well as outgoing nurses' concept accuracy, were significant (r = 0.43, p < 0.01; r = 0.68 p < 0.01, respectively). Finally, in 90% of the maps, outgoing nurses added information concerning the processes enacted during the shift, beyond the expert nurses’ gold standard.Discussion and conclusionsTwo seemingly contradicting processes in the handover were identified. “Information loss”, captured by the low similarity indexes among the mental models of incoming and outgoing nurses; and “information restoration”, based on accuracy measures indexes among the mental models of the incoming nurses. Based on mental model theory, we propose possible explanations for these processes and derive implications for how to improve a clinical handover.     

Effect of goal attainment theory based education program on cardiovascular risks,behavioral modification,and quality of life among patients with first episode of acute myocardial infarction: Randomized study

Effect of goal-attainment-theory-based education program on cardiovascular risks, behavioral modification, and quality of life among patients with first episode of acute myocardial infarction: randomized studyBackgroundThe behavioral modification strategies should be explored at the time of admission to lead the maximum effect of cardiovascular risk management.AimsThis randomized study aimed to elucidate the effects of a nurse-led theory-based education program in individuals with a first episode of acute myocardial infarction on cardiovascular risks, health behaviors, and quality of life over 6 months.MethodsThe study involved a convenience sample of 64 patients with acute myocardial infarction who were randomly assigned to either the education group or the control group. The goal-attainment-based education program was designed to set the mutually agreed goals of risk management and the behavioral modification strategies for achieving those goals. Those in the control group received routine management only. The participants in both groups were contacted at 6–8 weeks and at 6 months after discharge to measure outcome variables. Repeated measure ANOVA was conducted using SPSSWIN (version 20.0) to determine the significance of differences in outcome variables over 6 months between the groups.ResultsBoth groups showed significant positive changes in cardiovascular risks, health behaviors, and quality of life over 6 months. The 2-year risk of cardiovascular disease was significantly reduced in both study groups, but with no significant interaction effect (F = 2.01, p = 0.142). The performance and maintenance of health behaviors (F = 3.75, p = 0.029) and the mental component of quality of life (F = 4.03, p = 0.020) were significantly better in the education group than the control group.ConclusionApplying a goal-oriented education program at an early stage of hospital management improved and maintained blood glucose, health behaviors, and mental component of the quality of life up to six months in individuals with a first episode of myocardial infarction. Further studies are warranted to explore the role of behavioral modification mediating between cardiovascular risk management and quality of life in this population.     

Care workers health in Swiss nursing homes and its association with psychosocial work environment: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated poor health of care workers in nursing homes. Yet, little is known about the prevalence of physical and mental health outcomes, and their associations with the psychosocial work environment in nursing homes.Objectives(1) To explore the prevalence of physical and mental health outcomes of care workers in Swiss nursing homes, (2) their association with psychosocial work environment.MethodsThis is a secondary data analysis of the cross-sectional Swiss Nursing Home Human Resources Project (SHURP). We used survey data on socio-demographic characteristics and work environment factors from care workers (N = 3471) working in Swiss nursing homes (N = 155), collected between May 2012 and April 2013. GEE logistic regression models were used to estimate the relationship between psychosocial work environment and physical and mental health outcomes, taking into account care workers’ age.ResultsBack pain (19.0%) and emotional exhaustion (24.2%) were the most frequent self-reported physical and mental health. Back pain was associated with increased workload (odds ratios (OR) 1.52, confidence interval (CI) 1.29–1.79), conflict with other health professionals and lack of recognition (OR 1.72, CI 1.40–2.11), and frequent verbal aggression by residents (OR 1.36, CI 1.06–1.74), and inversely associated with staffing adequacy (OR 0.69, CI 0.56–0.84); emotional exhaustion was associated with increased workload (OR 1.96, CI 1.65–2.34), lack of job preparation (OR 1.41, CI 1.14–1.73), and conflict with other health professionals and lack of recognition (OR 1.68, CI 1.37–2.06), and inversely associated with leadership (OR 0.70, CI 0.56–0.87).ConclusionsPhysical and mental health among care workers in Swiss nursing homes is of concern. Modifying psychosocial work environment factors offer promising strategies to improve health. Longitudinal studies are needed to conduct targeted assessments of care workers health status, taking into account their age, along with the exposure to all four domains of the proposed WHO model.     

People brought to the emergency department under involuntary assessment orders: A scoping review

BackgroundSome people with mental health problems arrive to the Emergency Department (ED) under involuntary assessment orders (IAOs) and can have complex medical and socioeconomic factors, which may impact on the delivery of care in the ED. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to identify, evaluate and summarise the current literature regarding the demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics and outcomes for people brought to the ED under IAOs.MethodA scoping review was undertaken guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Guidelines and the Arksey and O’Malley framework.ResultsIn total 21 articles were included in this review. People under IAOs most commonly present to EDs with suicidal ideation/intent, with interagency involvement noted when responding to these people in the pre-hospital setting. Most people arriving to ED under IAOs were reported to experience length of stay longer than four hours.ConclusionThis review highlights the limited information pertaining to people brought to EDs under an IAO. High levels of mental health problems and extended length of stay for people under IAOs suggests the need for interagency collaboration to inform the development and implementation of models of care that incorporates social determinants of health and are tailored to this complex population.     

Why is psychiatric nursing not the preferred option for nursing students: A cross-sectional study examining pre-nursing and nursing school factors

BackgroundThere is a shortage of nurses working in the mental health field globally. The aim of the present study was to examine Singapore nursing students' attitudes towards specializing in psychiatric nursing by examining the pre-nursing and nursing school factors as well as attitudes towards psychiatry and personality traits.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 500 nursing students from four nursing institutions in Singapore. Students' attitudes towards psychiatry (ATP-18), perception of psychiatric nursing career aspects relative to other fields, and personality traits (mini-IPIP) were assessed. The main outcome measure was likelihood of specializing in psychiatric nursing. Logistic regression was used to examine the combined effect of factors upon the outcome.ResultsTwenty-six students (5.2%) rated “definitely decided to do” psychiatric nursing. Pre-nursing school factors associated with choosing psychiatry included ethnicity, current education, parents' wishes, having personal/family experience of mental illness, prior work experience, interest in psychiatric nursing and psychology module taken prior to current school admission. Nursing school factors such as teaching methods and clinical exposure were not associated with choosing psychiatric nursing. Positive attitudes towards psychiatry, perception of better career aspects in psychiatric nursing relative to other fields, and the personality traits of extraversion and intellect/imagination were associated with likelihood of choosing psychiatric nursing. Logistic regression revealed Malay (OR: 1.90, 1.14–3.16, p = 0.013) and Indian ethnicity (OR: 2.56, 1.32–4.96, p = 0.005), interest in psychiatry (OR: 22.56, 8.22–61.92, p < 0.001), psychology module prior to current school admission (OR: 2.31, 1.28–4.17, p = 0.005), better perceived job prospects in psychiatric nursing than other fields (OR: 1.91, 1.21–3.04, p = 0.006), extraversion (OR: 1.09, 1.02–1.17, p = 0.012) and positive attitude towards psychiatry (OR: 2.72, 1.75–4.23, p < 0.001) as factors associated with students choosing psychiatric nursing.ConclusionsThe selection of psychiatry as a specialty by nursing students was affected by pre-nursing school factors. Taking these factors into consideration may improve recruitment and alleviate the shortages in the psychiatric nursing field.