Design: This was a cross-sectional study. The instrument used was a self-developed questionnaire consisting of 13 questions. The data were analysed using the χ2 statistics test and binary logistic regression with a level of significance <0.05.
Setting: The study was conducted at a public nursing school located in urban Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, in December 2017.
Participants: A total of 714 nursing students from four different programmes were involved.
Results: This study found that almost 60% of nursing students were reluctant to work in rural areas. Of the three variables which were significant in the χ2 analysis, only two were significant following the logistic regression test, namely the class programmes of undergraduate regulars (OR=2.274; 95% CI 1.326 to 3.900), profession regulars (OR=2.262; 95% CI 1.110 to 4.607) and rural place of origin (OR=1.405; 95% CI 1.036 to 1.906).
Conclusion: The education programme and place of origin were associated with the intention of nursing students to work in rural areas. Therefore, the recruitment of prospective nurses should consider these factors by considering the local context.