The impact of study on the professional development of nurses through the perception of nursing students

Aim: The aim of the paper was to determine students’ perceptions on whether they improve their knowledge and skills through their studies, to determine their attitude towards their chosen profession, and to investigate whether they are considering leaving Croatia. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Methods: The instruments used in this study were a structured questionnaire of demographic data and a questionnaire constructed for the purposes of this research. In total 106 students from two study levels participated in the study. Statistical analysis showed frequencies and percentages, the arithmetic mean, and the standard deviation. Results: The results of the study showed that the majority of respondents (48.1%) believed that education contributed to the development of their profession, which is consistent with other studies. A slightly lower number of students (47.2%) believed that their education provided them with the necessary knowledge, while only a small number of students (7.5%) seriously considered leaving Croatia. Conclusion: Education is key to improving nursing care asitenables the delivery of quality healthcare, ensures a more effective response to patients’ needs, and contributes tothe health of the community.