The Effect of Sense of Calling, Occupational Values, Career Identity on the Career Preparation Behavior in Junior Nursing Students

Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify the level of sense of calling, occupational values, career identity, and career preparation behavior of junior nursing students, as well as the factors influencing career preparation behavior. Methods Data were collected through a structured questionnaire targeting 176 lower-year nursing students in City C. The collected data were analyzed using the independent t-test, Pearson correlation, coefficient, and hierarchical regression of the SPSS 25.0 program. Results Factors that influence the career preparation behavior of junior nursing students are motivation for choosing a major (ß=-.13, p=.041), satisfaction with the major (ß=-.15, p=.019), and sense of calling (ß=. 27, p=.000), and intrinsic job values ​​(ß=.17, p=.020), and the most influential variable was sense of calling, and the total explanatory power of these variables was 35.9%. Conclusions In this study, it was confirmed that the career preparation behavior of junior nursing students was better when the sense of calling and the intrinsic career values ​​were high. In order to improve the career preparation behavior of nursing students, education that strengthens the sense of calling and the intrinsic career values ​​should be repeatedly applied from the lower grades in the curriculum.