Examining the Career Development of Nursing Students: A Prospective Study

Objective:This study was planned to monitor the development process of nursing students’ career plans. Method:The research was conducted with students who studied at the Near East University Faculty of Nursing between 2017 and 2020. The study was conducted prospectively, starting from the first-year of the students, with repeated measurements in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades, by applying the personal information form and the Career Futures Inventory. Results:When the career development of students is examined for four years, mean scores decreased in the 2nd grade, but improved in the following years and showed a significant increase in scores (p<0.05). The sub-dimension mean scores of the scale were also in line with the total scale mean scores. Conclusion:The career planning motivation of the students is found to be good when they finish high school and start university. However, over time, it has been determined that career plans improve again as students adapt to school and courses.