Nursing graduates' perceived future career pathway and career shift tendency in Egypt: a cross sectional study

Addressing the dynamics shaping nurses' career trajectories and strategies to support workforce stability and retention in the healthcare sector. The aim of this study was to explore nursing graduates' perceptions of their future Career pathways, and their tendency toward career shifts. Additionally, the study examined the factors influencing career shift tendencies and the relation between career pathway perceptions and career shift tendencies.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was used, with an online distributed questionnaire for study participants from different nursing graduates' categories. That included demographic characteristics, a section that measured nursing graduates' future career pathway perception, and career shift tendency.

Nursing graduates in Egypt were having a positive perception regarding their future career pathway. However, more than one quarter of them were considering career shift represents potential workforce instability and dissatisfaction within the nursing profession and financial factors was one of the main provoking drivers for career shift tendency. In addition, nursing graduates' perception of career pathway had a significant effect on their career shift tendency in future.

Based on the findings of this study, further efforts should be made to confront nursing shortage in Egypt, implementing targeted interventions to support nursing graduates in navigating their career pathways. Additionally, proactive measures should be taken to address the identified factors driving intentions to leave the profession, such as improving workplace conditions, fostering intergenerational collaboration, and offering mentorship programs. These strategies are essential for fostering a resilient and satisfied nursing workforce and ensuring the delivery of high-quality patient care in the healthcare sector.