ABSTRACT
Objective:
to analyze the motivation of nursing undergraduate students at a public university by means of the Academic Motivation Scale.
Method:
a descriptive, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. The sample included nursing students from a public university located in the state of Pernambuco.
Results:
the profile of the nursing students of the public university included the following aspects: a female majority, aged between 20 and 30 years of age, single, does not have children, does not work, lives in the metropolitan area, has a nuclear family and has a family monthly income less than R$2,364. The highest mean score in intrinsic motivation was the Intrinsic Motivation for Realization, and the extrinsic motivation was the Intrinsic Motivation of External Control. The highest intrinsic and extrinsic motivation scores of the students were found in the third period, and the fourth period obtained the lowest scores of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.
Conclusion:
the students of this public university had high scores of motivation, these high scores were mainly evident in the intrinsic motivations that awaken the student's autonomy.
DESCRIPTORS:
Motivation; Nursing students; Learning; Teaching; Third level education