Career Adaptability: An Innovative Measurement to Aid Professional Development of New Graduate Nurses.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Workforce Development
• Career Psychology
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Newly licensed nurses (NLNs) face significant transition challenges in acute care settings.
• Understanding factors influencing their career intentions is crucial for retention and professional growth.
• Career adaptability is increasingly recognized as a key factor in navigating career transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between career adaptability and career intentions in newly licensed nurses.
• To investigate the potential of career adaptability as a metric for assessing nurses' willingness for career and educational advancement.
• To inform the development of organizational transition programs for nurses.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional quantitative study design.
• Online survey instrument administered to 277 registered nurses in North Carolina acute care hospitals.
• Statistical analysis to determine the relationship between career adaptability and career intentions.

Main Results:

• A significant positive relationship was found between career adaptability and career intentions in newly licensed nurses.
• Higher levels of career adaptability were associated with a greater desire for career and educational change.
• The findings support career adaptability as a valuable construct for understanding nurse career progression.

Conclusions:

• Career adaptability is a significant predictor of career intentions among newly licensed nurses.
• Organizations should consider incorporating career adaptability assessments into nurse onboarding and development programs.
• Enhancing career adaptability may improve nurse retention and facilitate the development of robust career trajectories within healthcare organizations.