Sun Ju You1, Jong Kyung Kim2, Myun Sook Jung3, Se Young Kim4, Eun Kyung Kim5

1Department of Nursing, Mokpo National University, Muan, Korea 2College of Nursing, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea 3College of Nursing, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea 4Department of Nursing, Changwon National University, Changwon, Korea 5Department of Nursing Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea


Background: Despite increasing the number of newly licensed nurses across Korea, shortages caused by geographical imbalances remains a significant concern. Therefore, understanding nursing students’ attitudes to working and living, factors influencing where they first choose to work after graduation is useful in formulating appropriate interventions to retain nurses in regional areas.
Methods: A total of 329 senior nursing students from areas outside Metropolitan Seoul completed self-report questionnaires. Data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results: Of the respondents, 57.8% reported that they planned to work in the region in which their school was located. The three factors ranked as having the greatest influence on their decision to work in non-metropolitan regions were: the cost of living, housing costs, and the proximity to family. Enjoyable aspects of rural life contributed positively to students’ intentions to work in non-metropolitan regions, whereas isolation and socialization problems negatively affected their intentions to work in such areas.
Conclusions: Greater consideration should be given to improving working conditions and housing environments in non-metropolitan regions.
Korean J Health Promot 2018;18(4):184-193

Keywords: Nursing students, Rural hospitals, Employment