The effect of achieving career goals on job satisfaction among nurses pursuing postgraduate education

BACKGROUND: The increasing expectations for evidence-based practice in nursing, along with the growing complexity of patient care, have heightened service quality and emphasized the importance of continuous professional development. In this context, postgraduate education has become a critical pathway for nurses to enhance their competencies and adapt to evolving healthcare demands. Although the benefits of postgraduate education are recognized, there is limited research examining its impact on nurses’ achievement of career goals and job satisfaction. This study aimed to examine the effect of achieving career goals on job satisfaction among nurses pursuing postgraduate education, considering frameworks of career development and professional role advancement. METHOD: A cross-sectional and correlational research design was used. The study population comprised 7555 nurses who had completed thesis-based master’s and doctoral programs in postgraduate nursing programs in Türkiye between 2011 and 2021. The study sample consisted of 742 nurses reached through convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics, group comparison tests, and multiple regression analyses were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean job satisfaction score was 3.59 ± 0.88, and the mean career goal discrepancy score was 3.11 ± 1.43. A moderate negative correlation was observed between job satisfaction and career goal discrepancy (r=-.48, p < .05), indicating that greater alignment with career goals is associated with higher job satisfaction. Overall, nurses who were older, had longer professional experience, had graduated doctoral program, had choosing their profession willingly, and held academic positions had higher job satisfaction, while those who were younger, had less experience, and had graduated master’s program had higher career goal discrepancy. Career goal discrepancy and position together explained 28% of the variance in job satisfaction (Adj R² = 0.28). Career goal discrepancy emerged as a strong negative predictor of job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: According to the study results, alignment between postgraduate education, career goals, and current roles is associated with higher job satisfaction. Nurses with doctoral degrees reported higher job satisfaction, whereas those with master’s degrees exhibited greater career goal discrepancy. Additionally, nurses in academic roles showed higher job satisfaction and better career goal alignment compared to those in clinical practice. These results highlight the importance of supporting postgraduate education and structured career development pathways to enhance professional fulfillment and optimize the effectiveness of the nursing workforce. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.