Factors enabling and hindering students’ career interest in nursing: a scoping review of four decades of evidence (1984–2025)

Background: Global nursing shortages have renewed attention to recruitment, yet most initiatives begin after career preferences have formed. Aims: This scoping review mapped international evidence on factors enabling and hindering high school students’ career interest in nursing before enrolment. Methods: Nine databases were searched in July 2025 without date restrictions, supplemented by citation tracking. Empirical studies reporting factors associated with nursing career interest among pre-enrolment school students were included, yielding 52 studies (1984–2025) from 15 countries. Findings were synthesised thematically and interpreted through Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). Results: Enabling factors comprised altruistic values, family and role-model support, a positive professional image, experiential learning and job security; hindering factors comprised low prestige, gender and cultural stereotypes, demanding work conditions, limited exposure and poor perceived rewards. Interpreted through SCCT, career interest appeared stronger where self-efficacy, outcome expectations and contextual supports were mutually reinforcing; reports of core barriers recurred across four decades. Conclusions: As the most visible nurses in students’ daily environments, school nurses may be well positioned to provide accurate career information, role modelling and experiential exposure, although no included study evaluated school nurses as recruitment agents and this implication requires direct testing.