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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate reasons of undergraduate nursing/midwifery students’ engagements in scientific activities.This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted during V. National Nursing Students Congress in Urfa. The sampleincluded 133 of 550 registered students who were available and accepted to participate. Data were collected by meansof a questionnaire including 36 questions about demographics, scientific activities and reasons of students during sessionsby self-report. The average age of students was 22 and 95% of them were female. 72.9% of the students were attendedat a congress the first-time and 86.5% were attendent at least one study. They said that they carried out research becausethey want to improve themselves (73.7%), learn how to do a research (57.9%) and contribute to improvements of theirprofessions (44.4%). 79.7% of participants have decided to do the research and 43.6% have determined the study issuesthemselves. They were supported by their advisors (98.4%) and friends (53.5%) for their scientific activities, and 91.3%of participants found their advisors’ supports sufficient. 67.7% of attendants have also got economical supports and70% of them were supported by their families. Students said that their problem solving skills are improved by doingresearch (66.9%), they learned teamwork (66.2%), writing and communication (57.9%), but lack of sufficient time wastheir major problem (84.2%). A significant number of students wanted to maintain their scientific activities to makeacademic career (92.5%) and practice their profession (89.5%) in the future. Findings suggest that almost all of theparticipants desired to do the research to resume their scientific activities and to have an academic career. Further, it isclear that academic activities let the students gain some skills like problem solving and team-work. Therefore, it wassuggested that nursing and midwifery students should be allowed time for and supported in their academic activities.

Keywords

• Nursing; midwifery; education; undergraduate research; scientific activity.

Why Nursing and Midwifery Students Do Research and Participate in Scientific Activities?

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate reasons of undergraduate nursing/midwifery students’ engagement in scientific activities. This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted during V. National Nursing Students Congress in Urfa. The sample included 133 of 550 registered students who were available and accepted to participate. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire including 36 questions about demographics, scientific activities and reasons of students during sessions by self-report. The average age of students was 22 and 95% of them were female. Of students 72.9% were attended at a congress the first-time and 86.5% with at least one study. They said that they carried out research because they want to improve themselves (73.7%), learn how to do a research (57.9%) and contribute to improvements of their professions (44.4%). Of participants 79.7% have decided to do the research and 43.6% have determined the study issues themselves. They were supported by their advisors (98.4%) and friends (53.5%) for their scientific activities, and 91.3% of participants found their advisors’ supports sufficient.  67.7% of attendants have also got economical supports and 70% of them were supported by their families. Students said that by doing research their problem solving skills are improved (66.9%), they learned teamwork (66.2%), writing and communication (57.9%), but lack of sufficient time was their major problem (84.2%). A significant number of students wanted to perpetuate their scientific activities to make academic career (92.5%) and practice their profession (89.5%) in the future. Findings suggest that almost all of the participants desired to do the research to resume their scientific activities and to make academic carrier.

Keywords

• Nursing; midwifery; education; undergraduate research; scientific activity

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