Nursing student plans for the future after graduation: a multicentre study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Workforce Planning
• Sociology of Professions

Background:

• Current nursing workforce models rely on historical graduate data.
• New graduates' future plans may differ due to evolving socio-economic contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nursing student post-graduation plans.
• To identify factors influencing these plans.
• To examine factors associated with emigration intentions.

Main Methods:

• A survey questionnaire was administered to final-year nursing students in Italy.
• Data collected from 923 students across seven universities in 2015.
• Response rate was 90.4%.

Main Results:

• Two-thirds planned to seek nursing jobs in Italy.
• Remaining students intended to emigrate, seek jobs in Italy and abroad, or pursue further education.
• Factors encouraging emigration included prior international experience and career growth desires.
• Desire for comfort and personal relationships deterred migration.

Conclusions:

• Nursing student post-graduation plans are varied and require consideration in workforce modeling.
• Policymakers must acknowledge these diverse plans for effective healthcare human resource strategies.
• Strategies should address work environments and professional development to meet varied graduate expectations.