Constructing career pathways in nursing: some issues for research and policy

Area of Science:

• Nursing Workforce Research
• Career Development Studies

Background:

• The nursing profession faces continuous occupational and organizational changes.
• Understanding nurses' career trajectories is crucial for workforce planning and retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the post-qualification career histories of registered general nurses.
• To investigate the influence of occupational choice versus organizational constraints on nursing careers.
• To analyze the career plans of nurses at the point of qualification.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study tracking a cohort of registered general nurses.
• Development and pilot testing of questionnaires to capture career plans and histories.
• Analysis of questionnaire data, focusing on question design and routing structures.

Main Results:

• A high response rate of 87% (1015 out of 1164 nurses) was achieved.
• 86% of newly qualified nurses intended to remain in clinical practice.
• Significant interest was shown in further education (59% for ENB courses, 42% for degrees) and international practice (18%).

Conclusions:

• Newly qualified nurses demonstrate a strong initial commitment to clinical practice.
• Substantial interest exists in professional development and diverse practice settings, including international and private sectors.
• Effective questionnaire design, including pilot testing, is vital for capturing nuanced career intentions in nursing research.