Envisioning career trajectory post-PhD in nursing: Lessons learned from a professional development project

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Career Development
• Doctoral Studies

Background:

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) nursing students face challenges in career navigation due to traditional mentor-mentee models and competing demands.
• Limited resources often hinder PhD nursing students' exploration of diverse career opportunities.
• A project was developed to support career development for PhD nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate a project aimed at enhancing career development support for PhD nursing students.
• To address the need for guidance beyond traditional academic career paths.
• To explore diverse career trajectories for nursing PhD graduates.

Main Methods:

• A 4-week student-designed project was implemented, focusing on identified career trajectories.
• Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
• Qualitative data from open-ended questions and field notes were examined.

Main Results:

• All participants found the career development sessions helpful and recommended annual workshops.
• Student inquiries centered on job searching, selection, and post-career entry experiences.
• Workshop speakers shared crucial tasks, strategies, wisdom, and personal reflections.

Conclusions:

• Nursing PhD students are keen on exploring non-academic career paths.
• The project successfully provided an avenue for exploring diverse career options outside traditional mentorship.
• Schools of nursing and universities should leverage resources to aid students in exploring career trajectories.