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September 02-03, 2019 | Vienna, Austria
WORLD NURSING FORUM
RHEUMATOLOGY & TRAUMA CARE
13
th
International Conference on
&
Nursing Forum 2019 & Rheumatology 2019
September 02-03, 2019
Journal name: Journal of Nursing Research and Practice
J Nurs Res Pract, Volume 3
Volume 3 | ISSSN: 2632-251X
Occupational prestige of nursing in Lithuania
Andzelika Zavackiene
Republic Klaipeda Hospital, Lithuania
Background
: Nurses play a vital role in facing public health challenges, delivering high quality health services, strengthening
health systems on local and global scales.
Problem
: The quality of nursing and patient safety are affected by insufficient number of nurses, lack of new job positions,
high workloads, low salaries, standardised work, which hinders experience and education, questionable health and safety, and
low occupational prestige of nursing. Lithuania is named as one of the EU countries, where a number of nurses is decreasing.
It is projected to further reduce, as the average age of nurses is 45 years, and the profession is not popular among high school
graduates. Even though graduates choose the nursing specialty for access to employment, nursing care remains low in society.
Favourable public opinion is paramount in increasing nursing’s recognition, strengthening the professional identity of nurses and
motivating them to perform to higher standards, as well as encouraging younger generation to choose this profession
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 healthcare students in January, February and May 2018. The study enrolled 829 participant
(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.
Results
: The society perceives the social prestige of nurse profession as average. It is strongly believed that nursing is hard
work (range 4.48), an admirable profession (range 4.46), a highly qualified profession (range 4.50), and a profession with great
responsibilities (range 4.66). It is agreed that nursing is a calling (range 4.22). Participants do not agree with the statement, that
nursing does not require much education (range 2.09), however, they strongly agree that nursing is poorly paid (range 4.74).
Nursing is more positively perceived by younger nurses and health care students. They are more likely to support the
statement, that nurses require much education, nursing is a highly qualified profession (range 4.50), and a profession with great
responsibilities. In contrast, older nurses are likely to doubt the need for education and are more likely to support the statement
that nursing requires physical work.
Conclusions
:
• Nursing is more positively perceived by younger respondents. They are more aware of the profession’s importance, required
competence and education, responsibilities, and are more likely to deem that nursing is prestigious. These factors influence
the professionalism of nurses and the public option about their profession.
• Older respondents, however, tend to think that nursing does not require much education and are more likely to view nursing
as manual, standardised work.
• It was determined that most nursing students as well as nurses themselves think they are assistants to doctors, rather than
specialists, who work independently and can assume responsibility.