Nurses’ Job Values in the Transition from School to Work

Abstract

Traditionally, nurses’ motivation for work has been characterized as altruistic, with a deep concern to help other people. Although studies show that altruistic values are still important among nurses and nursing students, other job values, like personal development, have increasingly been called to attention (see e.g. Thorpe & Loo, 2003). This study focuses on how nursing students and beginning nurses emphasize different job values. These job values are derived from altruistic and intrinsic preferences for work, like personal development, as well as more extrinsic ones, such as high income. What do nursing students in their final year of schooling regard as important when considering a job offer, and do they maintain their emphasis on these job values after some years at work?