Nursing doctoral students views about career planning and research priorities

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the views of nursing doctoral student before beginning and during training doctoral programs about career planning changes and research priorities. Methods: The study was of qualitative design. The study was carried out with 16 interviews with Health Sciences Institute Faculty of Nursing. Individual interviews were with 16 doctoral students enrolled in different academic specialties following the interviews, the audio recordings were first transcribed and then categorized. The data were analyzed by content analysis. Results: Data was analyzed by content analysis and then three main themes, namely "changes in career planning," "research priorities," and "development," and six categories were formulated from the data obtained. The participants stated that upon starting their doctoral program, they were aware that they had made various changes in their career plans also doctoral program had affected their professional development and improved their transferable skills. Conclusion: This study's results suggest that doctoral students should be supported so that they can be effective in their careers, and that postdoctoral education should also be supported. Effective policies concerning the improvement of doctoral nurses should also be developed and implemented based on evidence demonstrating the usefulness of these supports.