Professional development and entering the labor market: The perceptions of nursing graduates

Abstract

The professional history of nursing graduates allows for understanding and reflecting on higher education and the characteristics inherent in the job market. The objectives of the present study were to analyze the perceptions that nursing graduates of a private university have regarding their development process, focusing on the conditions of entering the job market and the demands they deal with in their professional life. The Collective Subject Discourse was the method of choice used in this study. Participants included 104 graduates who were divided into three groups according to their position after graduation. Discourse analysis allowed for deep reflection regarding their preparation, indicating the need to review the pedagogical project, particularly in terms of developing competencies in the four dimensions of care: management, healthcare, education, and research.