Introduction
Within the GNWC’s research framework, a central theme concerns the attractiveness of nursing as a career choice. Understanding what influences individuals to enter or decide against entering the profession is foundational to workforce planning.
Attractiveness reflects how nursing is perceived by prospective students and early-career entrants, including perceptions of professional image, career mobility, compensation, working conditions, and alignment with personal aspirations.
This brief synthesizes current evidence on the determinants of nursing attractiveness and highlights implications for policymakers, educators, workforce leaders, and the public. The included studies span 42 countries (see the Appendix for full mapping) across all major world regions, enabling cross-country comparison and global benchmarking.
Framework question: How does the understanding of the values of the newer generations influence the long-term desirability and sustainability of the nursing profession?
Research question: What factors shape the attractiveness of nursing as a career among prospective nursing students and current nursing students?
Published by:
The Global Nursing Workforce Centre (GNWC)
A collaborative initiative between TruMerit® and the International Council of Nurses
