How do Turkish nursing students plan their career after the graduation?: a questionnaire survey

Abstract

This research was planned as a cross-sectional and descriptive study for the purpose of determining nursing students' expectations from a workplace and what department, area, and positions they want to work in after graduation. The research population was comprised of the four university-based schools of nursing in Ankara province. The sample was comprised of 447 nursing students. A questionnaire developed by the researchers in light of information in the literature was used for data collection and had three sections including the participants' demographic characteristics, questions asking about where they wanted to work and expectations from the workplace where they want to work. The overwhelming majority of the students wanted to work as an academician at the university or in management at a hospital. The highest percentage of students wanted to work in pediatrics and the operating room, and the lowest percentage wanted to work in psychiatric nursing, geriatrics and care for the handicapped. The primary expectations students had from the workplaces where they wanted to work after graduation been an orientation to the workplace and educational opportunities, opportunities for promotion and job satisfaction. Explaining to students that the most significant need in the nursing profession is the shortage of nurses responsible for direct patient care may prevent them from developing wrong expectations and goals in their career planning.

Nursing students plan after graduation: A qualitative study

“…Generally, students like to be in academic part (education) or management position after graduation. [ 1 23 ] Students in this study also mentioned that it does not matter they work in public or private sectors. Thus, for this reason, the students who would like to be bedside nurses to responsible for direct nursing care can help dealing with nursing shortage in Indonesia, and it may prevent them from developing wrong expectations and goals in their career planning.…”

“…However, this result is not in line with Yildirim's study found that more than half of the nursing student are not including direct patient care in their career planning. [ 1 ] Followed by Rognstad et al . determined that nursing students were less interested in giving care and help to others.…”

“…Questions about what I am going to be in 5 or 10 years and how to get there are often proposed by nursing students, as their first career decision to identify a plan on which to act just after college graduation. [ 1 ] A career plan means a process of becoming aware of self, opportunities, constraints, choice, and consequences; identifying career-related goals, timing, and sequence of steps to attain the goals. [ 2 3 ] However, career plan might be influenced by circumstance, and that is why considered to be flexible.…”

“…[ 2 3 ] However, career plan might be influenced by circumstance, and that is why considered to be flexible. [ 1 ]…”

“…[ 5 ] However, new graduates may have different plans for their future career. [ 6 ] Turkish study reported that the majority of the students want to work as an academician at the university or in management at a hospital,[ 1 ] whereas Palese et al . [ 6 ] study with 923 students found that majority of students (64.2%) intend to search for a nursing position in their home country, 15.8% of them have intention to work abroad, and 8.9% of them intend to continue nursing education.…”