Abstract summary 

Research studies in the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia suggest that students do not consider psychiatric nursing as a popular career option. According to this research, there is a widespread concern about the nursing shortages in psychiatry. The demand for mental health services continues to grow and there is a need for strategies to recruit nurses for this specialized field. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors preventing undergraduate nursing students in South Africa (SA) from choosing psychiatric nursing as a career. A qualitative research design that aimed to explore and describe was used. Data were collected through the Nominal Group Technique. A sample of convenience of 27 final year nursing students from the School of Nursing at the University of the Free State as well as the Free State School of Nursing, situated in Bloemfontein (SA), voluntarily participated in this research. The following categories emerged from the content analysis of the data: personal factors, working environment, unprofessional behaviour, learning environment and the unclassified category. Psychiatric nursing as a career choice is in a predicament and nursing schools need to implement practical strategies to recruit future nurses for this field.

Authors & Co-authors:  Jansen R R Venter I

Study Outcome 

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