A general overview of the nursing academicians in Turkey

Abstract

Nursing; is a profession and a discipline composed of science and arts included to  protect/develop human health. The basics of the Nursing profession consist of questing methods of experimental, esthetic, personal information and ethics. In our country, the method of questioning in a full sense from a scientific view started after Nursing schools were founded. With the start of masters and doctoral programs in 1968 and 1972, today countless researchers and academicians have recorded important progress in different majors.This study was planned to specify the reasons for academic nurse’s choices in Turkey on their majors and the problems they faced during this period. The survey was sent to departments relevant to nursing in Turkish state universities via e-mail. Information about the surveys was given, and those who wanted to participate did so using the internet. 78 academic personnel from 30 different state universities participated in the research. The age average of the participants was 32.5 ± 5.1, 51% were single, 32% were associate professors and 68% were educational staff. 87% of the participants have experience in health care profession. 24% of the participants have a bachelor’s degree, 27% have a master’s degree 22% have a doctoral degree from Hacettepe University. 96% of the participants are graduates of Nursing Department. 21% of the participants are graduates from department of gynecological diseases. 13% of the participants are graduates of department Internal illness nursing doctoral. 37% of the academic nurses’ reason for choosing their masters degree major is the interest in the major. 54% of the research group choose their PHD program because of its being the continuation of their masters degree.13% of the participants changed their major after their masters degree for their PHD program and this change occurred because of a nursing and/or their major program not being available in their city. 92% specified that the reason for their academic carrier is to complete their personal growth and to contribute in developing their profession. During their academic carriers, the lack of associate professors, lack of foreign language skills, not enough time for research due to being overworked, physiological stress and conflict within the office and economical problems are the main issues. As a result the problems academic nurses are facing must be resolved with definite steps; will result in developing the mission and the vision of the profession both academically and within the health system for the future.