Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Academic motivation is highly important in nursing education. Providing high‑quality
nursing care requires students who have motivation to acquire information and skills. However, nursing
students lose their motivation gradually during their program. Thus, the present study is aimed at
elaborating on the strategies to improve academic motivation in nursing students.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted in Saveh University of Medical
Sciences. The data were collected through focus groups and individual semi‑structured interviews
with forty nursing students, professors, and lecturers of nursing and midwifery school. The participants
were selected through purposeful sampling method. This method is used for the selection of people
who have had experience with or are part of the culture or phenomenon of interest. Data analysis
was done as a continuous process through conventional qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS: The strategies to promote academic motivation of nursing students were categorized
into four main categories including strategies pertinent to professors (empowering and motivating
to improve the quality of teaching), strategies pertinent to students (creating positive attitude toward
nursing, empowering, and encouraging academic achievement), strategies pertinent to clinical
education (improvement of the quality of clinical training and optimization of the academic and
clinical relationships), and strategies pertinent to faculty (providing extracurricular activities, proper
curriculum programming, and educational and welfare facilities).
CONCLUSIONS: The strategies to improve academic motivation are available in different areas
including professors, students, faculty, and clinical education. In general, improving the quality of
education and creating positive attitude in nursing students increase their academic motivation.

Keywords

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