Attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate nursing students towards the nursing profession

Background Nursing students either possess positive or negative attitudes and perceptions about the nursing profession. Their attitudes towards the profession depict the quality of care they will offer to patients upon qualification. This study aimed to determine the attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate nursing students towards their profession. Methods This equal-status mixed methods study involved a census sample of 165 nursing students from year one to year four in two public universities in Uganda. Attitude Scale for Nursing Profession was used to collect quantitative data in the period between 20/11/2021 and 22/01/2022. Focus group discussions were held to collect qualitative data about the perceptions. Results Majority of the students (81.8%) had positive attitudes towards the nursing profession. There was a significant difference in attitudes based on year of study and entry scheme (R2 = 0.12, F = 2.21, p = 0.01). Nursing was perceived as a poorly remunerated, unpopular profession with bias towards recruitment of lower cadres. Conclusion The results of this study showed that the attitudes of undergraduate nursing students towards the nursing profession were positive but their perceptions about the nursing profession were negative. An interventional study is recommended to facilitate a more positive change among nursing students.