Contextualizing nurse education in Israel: Sociodemography, labor market dynamics and professional training

Background: Motivations for selecting nursing as a career are usually explored through direct questions to candidates and students. Purpose: The present article aims to uncover ties between the demand structure for the profession and broader socio-demographic and economic processes. Method: Data covering a ten year period was retrieved from an Israeli university. It is suggested that the intensity of demographic and economic shifts in Israel allows clearer observation of more general student-related processes that probably take place, if on a smaller scale, virtually everywhere. Findings and discussion: Many of the new recruits to academic nursing programs in Israel in 1996-2004 came from two somewhat marginal sub-populations: immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Israeli Palestinians. The high, yet decreasing percentage of the former category and the rise in the latter are interpreted in terms of competing forces in the local healthcare labor market, immigrants' adaptation and economic fluctuations. Conclusion: The demand for nursing studies corresponds to socio-demographic and economic changes. It may be beneficial to consider such links in long term planning and training policies.