The relation between self-reported educational, professional, and personal experiences in mental health care and choosing to specialize in mental health for nursing students

Background: A large shortage of mental health nurses is noticeable worldwide. Mental health nursing has also shown to be less popular than other nursing fields at Avans University of Applied Sciences. Purpose: A better understanding of what influences choosing a minor in mental health for second-year bachelor of nursing students.
Method: A quantitative survey-based method was used. The sample consisted of 177 second-year bachelor of nursing students. Results: Multiple linear regression showed four variables significantly correlated with the selection of a minor in mental health: students’ interest in mental health care, which teachers taught about mental health care, previous internships in mental health care, and students’ close relative’s experience with mental health issues.
Conclusion: The data confirm that a minor in mental health is rarely chosen. Not all topics found in previous qualitative studies were found to correlate with choosing a mental health care minor. Some questions were poorly understood and excluded from analysis. Overall effect sizes were small.