As graduation time nears and decisions about what jobs to take loom on the horizon, it’s helpful to know what matters to nursing students. Money? Sure. Location? Of course. But what is No. 1 on the list? Positive working conditions, according to a recent survey of 1,626 nursing students by AMN Healthcare. Having low nurse-patient ratios was second on the list, while favorable work hours, pay rates, and geographic location rounded out the top five.

AMN Healthcare, the largest temporary healthcare staffing company in the United States, sent out 10,000 surveys last May. The lists of nurses were selected at random, according to a press release from the company. The goal was simply to learn about the concerns and career plans of future nurses as they enter the profession. Here are some other eye-opening statistics from the AMN 2007 Survey of Nurse Students:

• 22% of nurses surveyed said they expected to make $35,001-$40,000 in their first year as a nurse, marking the highest percentage. That was followed by $40,001-$45,000 (19%) and $45,001-$50,000 (16%). Only 1% expected to make $20,000 or less.
• 35% of nurses surveyed said they’d never been contacted by hospitals, staffing firms, or anyone involved with recruiting. Only 14% said that they’d been contacted by more than 10 organizations.
• 56% of nurses surveyed said they hadn’t been recruited at all in the 30 days prior to taking the survey.
• 43% of nurses surveyed owe $10,000 or more in student loans.

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