Student career goal changes during doctoral education in nursing

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Doctoral Studies
• Academic Careers

Background:

• Nursing doctoral programs aim to prepare faculty.
• Newer doctoral disciplines often mirror established ones.
• The role of nursing faculty is crucial for education and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess initial and evolving career goals of nursing doctoral students.
• To compare career aspirations of first-year versus more experienced students.
• To identify factors influencing shifts in career focus.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Surveyed 785 nursing doctoral students across 35 US institutions.
• Compared career goals of newly enrolled vs. students enrolled over one year.

Main Results:

• Initial career goals are similar for new and experienced students.
• Experienced students show decreased interest in nondoctoral faculty roles.
• Experienced students increasingly favor research and consultation roles.
• EdD students showed increased interest in doctoral university faculty positions.
• DNS students' goal shifts exacerbated faculty shortages.

Conclusions:

• Doctoral nursing students' career goals evolve during their programs.
• Shifting goals, particularly away from faculty positions, may worsen faculty shortages.
• Further examination of these evolving career trajectories is warranted.