Envisioning career trajectory post-PhD in nursing: Lessons learned from a professional development project

ElsevierVolume 46, May–June 2023, Pages 179-186Journal of Professional NursingAuthor links open overlay panel, , , , , Highlights•

PhD students were interested in career diverse trajectories beyond academia.

An innovative student-directed process was used for program development.

PhD students valued guidance from outside their formal mentor-mentee relationship.

It was important to have speakers from diverse career and personal backgrounds.

AbstractBackground

Nursing Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students can pursue diverse career opportunities within and outside of academia upon graduation. However, mentor-mentee models, competing demands, and limited resources can challenge students as they search for guidance in navigating career decisions. This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a project to support PhD nursing career development.

Methods

A student-designed project was implemented over 4 weeks which aligned with four career trajectories that students identified. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative survey questions. Responses to open-ended questions and field notes were also examined.

Results

Post-implementation survey data suggested that all participants found the sessions helpful and recommended providing the workshop annually. Students' questions focused on three areas: job searches, job selection, and experiences once in a career trajectory. Workshop speakers' discussions focused on important tasks and strategies and wisdom and personal reflections offered to PhD students.

Discussion

Nursing PhD students are interested in diverse career trajectories beyond academia and valued an opportunity to explore these options outside of the traditional mentor-mentee relationship. Leveraging resources from schools of nursing and the broader collegiate environment is important in helping students to explore potential career trajectories.

Keywords

PhD in nursing

Nursing education

Career development

Professional development

Doctoral education

Graduate school

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