Revitalizing Broken Dreams: First Year Female Student Nurses’ Perceptions Regarding Their Decision to Join Nursing as a Career

Background: Nursing is a dynamic profession. On the other hand, due to its poor social image, it is not regarded as a first career choice. Nurses’ poor social image converts into a big challenge as the country is facing chronic nurses’ shortage and retention issues. Both problems warrant devising policies to increase students’ enrollment in nursing programs. Therefore, it is very necessary to explore nursing students’ perceptions regarding their decision to choose nursing as a career. Methodology: A qualitative descriptive study was employed which included a convenience sampling and a focus group discussion method to collect the data. Data were analyzed through thematic content analysis procedure. Two group discussions were arranged with 08 participants in each group. All the participants (16) were freshly enrolled in the first year (04-year) Bachelors' of Science in Nursing (session: 2018-19) at a Nursing Institute located in a female Medical University of Sindh Province. Results: One main theme ‘nursing as an opportunity to fulfill broken dreams’ and four supporting themes as ‘broken dreams; nursing as a way to continue your education; feeling as a nursing student and nursing as my destiny’ were unearthed. Conclusion: Student nurses are demotivated because their first dream remained unfulfilled. It is their confidence in themselves and curiosity to continue their education (that they stood up and decided to join nursing) to revitalize their broken dreams. A big opportunity falls on the shoulders of the Institute specially and teaching faculty, in general, to continuously support student nurses as they reenergize themselves to grow as professional and ethical nurse practitioners in the coming days.