Career advancement of nurse executives: planned or accidental?

This exploratory study has examined the effect of selected characteristics on the career advancement patterns of nurse executives in service and educational settings. The findings are not consistently in agreement with those of other researchers. For example, Hall et al. found that nearly two-thirds of nursing deans had planned their careers to attain that position. In this study, however, eighty-three percent of the respondents indicated that they had not planned their career advancement, but had simply taken opportunities that had come their way. The influence of others was important in the career advancement of these administrators. Many individuals, including faculty and nursing service colleagues, nursing directors, deans, and non-nursing administrators supported the respondents' personal and professional development through role modeling, teaching skills, and encouragement. Deliberate career planning and education in administration were, for the most part, lacking. Although the sample is too small to generate general conclusions about the universe of nurse executives, this does suggest that it is not uncommon for deans and service administrators to learn necessary skills on the job.