Abstract
Objectives: This study was conducted in order to examine the correlation between the image of nurse and career identity among high school students participating in a vocational experience program of a nursing department, to find influential factors, and ultimately, to improve the image of nurse and promote the establishment of career identity for the development of nursing career and to obtain strategic information for developing nursing departments' vocational experience programs. Methods: Data for this study were collected using a structured self-report questionnaire from 90 high school students participating in a vocational experience program executed at the Nursing Department of W University in G Province during the period from April 26 to July 19 in 2014. Results: According to the results of data analyses, factors influencing the image of nurse were career identity(${\beta}=0.339$, p=0.002) and satisfaction with the program(${\beta}=0.153$, p=0.043) in order of significance(F=9.51, p<0.001), and factors influencing career identity were the image of nurse(${\beta}=0.301$, p=0.002), satisfaction with the program(${\beta}=0.254$, p=0.010), and gender(${\beta}=0.231$, p=0.015) in order of significance(F=12.06, p<0.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that when high school students participating in a vocational experience program of a nursing department are satisfied with the program, the program is more effective in improving the image of nurse and promoting the establishment of career identity. Based on this study, further research is necessary to get strategic information for developing various vocational experience programs, to provide high school students with vocational experiences related to nursing through the programs, and to examine the effects of such programs.