Occupational prestige of nursing in Lithuania

Abstract

Background. Occupational prestige of nursing directly influences the social health of nurses [1]. It is important that the occupation holds a respectable professional image in a society and hence invokes an array of positive psychophysiological effects on nurses [2], such as stronger professional identity and motivation to work to higher standards, as well as encourages the younger generation to choose a nursing career. The latter is of particular importance nowadays, since due to various demographic processes, the shortage of nurses increases. Therefore, identifying and understanding the current public opinion on the occupational prestige of nursing in Lithuania, as well as the factors influencing it, are paramount for further social opinion's improvement. Aim. The aim of this research was to determine how the society perceives nursing in terms of prestige. Methods. An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted at Lithuanian university, republic and regional level hospitals as well at universities educating healtcare students in January and February 2018. The study enrolled 829 people (nurses, physicians, patients, and students) who filled in the questionnaire of Nurse image, using 5 points Likert scale. SPSS 21.0 Statistical Package was used for data analysis [3]. [...].