Nursing students' career plans after graduation: perspective from generation Y

Abstract

Aim: the aim of this study is to define the plans for professional work in the field of nursing, of nursing students in their senior year of post-graduation studies, and the factors affecting them. Method: this descriptive study included 2818 senior nursing students from 27 schools of nursing from different geographical regions of Turkey. The Questionnaire for Career Planning and Affecting Factors was used to collect the data. Results: most of the students (59.2%) see themselves as nurses in the next five years, and 31.7% of them see themselves as academicians in the next ten years. The rate of students who wish to work in a non-nursing profession within the next five years is 2.3%. Geriatric services were the least preferred. Conclusion: most students stated that they wanted to work as a nurse. The elder-care centers should be made attractive options for new graduate nurses to choose to work there.