Factors affecting nursing and midwifery student's decisiveness in 2013

Nursing and midwifery profession has been faced with many challenges due to inability to express oneself and justice. Nonetheless، little research has been performed about them. Because of impact of decisiveness on the mental health، this study performed to determine factors that weakened or facilitate decisiveness among nursing and midwifery students of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences. A cross-sectional study was performed among nursing and midwifery students of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences، in 2013. Data collection tool was a three parts questionnaire containing demography questions، Rathus Assertiveness Schedule and the Spielberger Anger Expression Scale. Data were analyzed in SPSS software version 19. The results indicated that 20% (n = 17) of midwifery students and 22% (n = 35) of nursing students had high decisiveness. Most of midwifery (60%، n = 50) and nursing (60%، n= 98) located in the category of medium decisiveness. Also، 20% (16 patients) of midwifery and 18% of nursing students (n = 33) had low decisiveness. Factors affecting decisiveness among midwifery students were semester (p = 0. 04)، interesting to his/her field (p = 0. 04)، marital status (p = 0. 04) and age (p = 0. 03). Among nursing students، these factors were semester (p = 0. 04)، interesting to his/her field (p = 0. 03) and age (p = 0. 03). Regard to decisiveness rate among study students and its effect on the mental health and academic performance and career، special attention must be paid to factors affecting decisiveness and reinforcement of them.