The Role of Socioeconomic Background in Career Choice and Perceptions of the Graduate Nursing Residency Program Among Nursing Students in Hungary

Introduction: The current shortage in the global nursing workforce underscores the importance of understanding factors associated with career choice and professional retention. This study aimed to identify background profiles among Hungarian Bachelor of Science in Nursing students and to examine their associations with career-choice patterns and perceptions of the Graduate Nursing Residency Program (GNRP). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 1 September 2025 and 1 March 2026 at seven Hungarian higher education institutions. Of 979 questionnaires screened, eight were excluded because of incomplete cluster-analysis data, resulting in an analytical sample of 971 students. Student background profiles were explored using TwoStep cluster analysis. The four-cluster solution was retained on the basis of model-fit change, cluster-size balance, parsimony, and substantive interpretability; the average silhouette value was 0.20, indicating weak separation. Results: Four exploratory profiles were identified: students from families with a university degree (17.3%), students with a rural healthcare orientation (37.3%), urban middle-class students (24.2%), and students with an urban mobility background (21.2%). The timing of career choice differed across profiles (p < 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.179). Awareness of the GNRP was limited, with 69.7% reporting no prior knowledge. Perceived contribution to professional development differed statistically across profiles (p = 0.033; partial η2 = 0.009), but the effect was small. Conclusions: The findings describe exploratory background profiles and modest associations rather than stable student categories or causal effects. Limited awareness and generally favorable perceptions of the GNRP suggest potential relevance for future communication and evaluation, but the present study does not establish program effectiveness.