Negative social media portrayals turning Generation Z away from nursing careers, survey suggests

Editor's Note

Negative portrayals of nursing on social media play a major role in deterring members of Generation Z from pursuing careers in the profession, according to survey results from nursing marketplace platform ShiftKey.

According to a June 4 report in The Hill, the survey involved 1,000 individuals aged 18 to 26, including current nurses and those who considered nursing in the past. Highlights include:

• 66% of respondents reporting using social media for career research.
• 50% of those who opted against nursing recalled encountering more negative social media posts about patient-related issues and mental health challenges, compared to 45% those who became nurses.
• 64% of nursing-related  posts on TikTok portrayed the profession negatively.
• 78% of those who thought about becoming a nurse but didn’t indicate that more positive social media content could have impacted their decision.