Personal and Educational Factors Promoting Occupational Commitment Among Nursing Students in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Sayaka Kato, Ayako YamashitaIntroduction
The global shortage of nursing workers highlights the importance of retaining newly graduated nurses, with occupational commitment being a key factor in such retention. Efforts to foster this commitment should begin early in nursing education.
Objective
This study tested a hypothesized model that identifies educational and personal factors that can be targeted in interventions to enhance occupational commitment early in basic nursing education.
Methods
A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Using convenience sampling, nine Japanese nursing colleges were invited, and consenting students were surveyed via paper-based or online questionnaires from November 2023 to August 2024. A total of 2,439 questionnaires were distributed, and 657 were returned (27.0%). Of these, 492 were analyzed after excluding incomplete responses (valid responses: 20.0%). Data were collected using a questionnaire that measured occupational commitment, metacognition, self-directed learning readiness, and active learning experiences. Descriptive statistics were calculated, followed by path analysis.
Results
The fit indices indicated an acceptable fit between the data and the hypothesized model (CFI = .992, TLI = .983, GFI = .993, AGFI = .978, and RMSEA = .033), accounting for 20% of the variance in occupational commitment. Active learning showed a significant path to metacognition (
Conclusion
Active learning may be associated with higher occupational commitment among nursing students through metacognition, learning motivation, and self-directed learning readiness. Metacognition may also be related to the development of self-regulation and problem-solving skills, which may support nursing students in coping with occupational challenges after entering the workforce.