Nursing Students’ Attitudes and Knowledge Toward Their Career Planning in Turkey
The aim of this study was to describe nursing students’ attitudes and knowledge toward career planning in Turkey. METHODS. The study group comprised 157 baccalaureate senior nursing students from one university school of nursing. The participation rate was 95%. A questionnaire was developed by the researchers and had two sections including the students’ demographic and personal information, and attitudes and knowledge toward career planning. RESULTS. More than half of the students (51.7%) chose nursing because of job security. A pediatrics unit (28.2%) was the most preferred department for working, and the least preferred was a psychiatric ward (6%). The most preferable position in which students wanted to work after graduation was a hospital staff nurse (53.7%) followed by an education nurse (31.5%). Less than one-fourth (22.8%) of nursing students thought that marriage could affect his/her career, and 39.6% of students thought that having children would disrupt his/her career. The majority of nursing students (65%) thought to enter further education (master and doctorate degree studies). Less than half (44.3%) of nursing students had knowledge toward career planning. More than one-fourth (26.2%) of students knew to develop a professional portfolio, 42.3% of students had knowledge how to write a curriculum vitae, and 33.6% of students knew job interview techniques. CONCLUSIONS. Educators and clinicians must be positive role models, and they are responsible to guide nursing students before graduation. A career counseling unit and career week activities can be organized to share the experiences with the students about future career opportunities.
Correspondence to . Balyacı Department of Public Health, School of Nursing, Ege University, 35100 Bornova-Izmir, Turkey. ozum.erkin@gmail.com