Study on three years dynamic change of professional attitude of nursing undergraduates in traditional Chinese medicine universities and the influencing factors

Objective To understand the dynamic change of professional attitude of nursing undergraduates in traditional Chinese medicine universities and the influencing factors from first-year to third-year. Methods From December 2012 to July 2015, "Scale for nurse's professional attitude" was used to evaluate the professional attitude of full-time nursing undergraduates in two traditional Chinese medicine universities in China in every 18th teaching week of a semester (6 times). Personal information sheet, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) were used to screen the influencing factor of professional attitude of nursing undergraduates. Results Mean scores of "Scale for nurse's professional attitude" in 289 nursing undergraduates was higher than 4.5 and appeared an increasing trend. There were significant differences in professional attitude between first-year and third-year nursing undergraduates. The influencing factors of nursing undergraduates' professional attitude were different. In first-year, the factors were EPQ-N, birthplace, EPQ-P, household registration, parent's marital status. In second-year, they were times of social practice, mother's vocation, EPQ-E, EPQ-P, satisfaction on family income. In third-year, they were SSRS scores, EPQ-P, whether first choice being nurse or not. Conclusions Professional attitude of 289 nursing undergraduates is positive and appears an increasing trend. The influencing factors of nursing undergraduates' professional attitude are different and EPQ-P has constant influence on their professional attitude. Key words: Nursing; Professional attitude; Undergraduate; Traditional Chinese medicine university