Doctor of nursing: Capacity for building a professional and scientific career project

Abstract

This was an exploratory and analytical research with a qualitative approach which aimed to understand how newly graduated doctors of nursing built their scientific career projects, considering the eight domains of the Profile of the Doctor of Nursing of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel Ministry of Education/Brazil. Sixteen graduates of Graduate Nursing Programs in Brazil with grades five, six and seven, graduated between the years 2008-2012, were interviewed. From the data analysis, five categories emerged: starting careers; seeking the stricto sensu education for professors; recognizing professional training; seeking fulfillment and professional development; and planning careers: facing challenges and barriers. It was possible to reflect upon the lives and needs inherent in the preparation of doctors of nursing for employment in the labor market and on the planning of their professional and scientific careers, in addition to identifying factors of suffering and professional dissatisfaction.