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Career decisions and aspirations of early-career nurses: Insights from a qualitative interpretative description study
Emily Richard1, Su Bin Chloe Kim2
1Faculty of Nursing, University of New Brunswick, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Aim:
To explore the career decisions and aspirations of early-career registered nurses in New Brunswick, Canada.
Design:
A qualitative study using an interpretive description approach was conducted.
Methods:
Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of nurses (n = 22) currently working in New Brunswick, Canada, with up to 5 years of experience from February to April 2022.
Results:
Participants described diverse career paths and aspirations. Personal factors affecting these included the desire for meaningful work, career satisfaction, work-life balance, spending time with family, working in a preferred location, and finances. Professionally, working conditions were the dominant factor influencing early-career nurses' career decisions and aspirations. Participants described how short staffing, safety, support, and scheduling influenced their day-to-day work, mental and physical health, job and career satisfaction, and intent to leave.
Conclusion:
The findings highlighted the abundant and diverse career opportunities available to nurses early in their careers. Early-career nurses are interested in finding nursing positions with a high degree of person-job fit and value opportunities for ongoing professional education and growth.
Impact:
This study in New Brunswick, Canada, explores early-career nurses' career decisions and aspirations during nursing shortages and the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of person-job fit. Recommendations include improving working conditions and career pathways to enhance the sustainability of the nursing profession.
Reporting Method:
Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR).
Patient Or Public Contribution:
No patient or public contribution.
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