The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nursing Students’ Perspectives About Nursing as Career Choice and Nursing Profession's Image: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Healthcare Industry has taken a center-stage in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Which affected many countries globally to rethink and strengthen its healthcare infrastructure. The student nurses experienced various emotions during the pandemic period which may impact their attitude towards choosing nursing as their career choice. For that, this study aimed to determine the nursing students’ attitude towards the chosen nursing profession and its image during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, to investigate the impact factors that may affect the students’ attitude on choosing nursing as their career choice in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A descriptive quantitative, cross-sectional design was used. A quantitative survey instrument was developed, piloted, factor analyzed, checked for reliability, validity and implemented. The survey was conducted in a nursing institution in the UAE and received 372 responses. In general, there seems to be a positive attitude towards choosing the nursing profession as a career choice and the nursing profession image. In conclusion, this study showed that the pandemic has not affected the nursing students negatively on the attitude towards their career-choice. The students’ families and the government of UAE have been very supportive during the pandemic. They have greatly recognized the contributions of the front liners, especially the nurses.