The influence of individual factors on the career preferences and specialty choices of final-year nursing students

Background: Statistical evidence shows that nursing students prefer a professional career in hospital settings, leading to a lack of career interest in non-hospital settings such as community and residential aged care facilities. The lack of preference for non-hospital settings has persisted over several decades and presents a need for different approaches that may reveal new information to better understand the individual factors that influence specialty choices and preferences from the students' viewpoints. Purpose: The aims of this study were to (1) explore individual factors that impact the nursing specialty choices of final-year nursing students and (2) explore how these factors influence the final-year nursing students' career decision-making process. Method: A narrative inquiry approach using semi-structured interviews was carried out with purposively sampled nursing students (n n = 12) who had undertaken a final-year clinical placement(s). Data was analysed using two main steps. First, the interviews were restoried and then analysed using the three-dimensional framework. Subsequently, thematic analysis was applied to generate themes. Results: Data analysis generated three main themes: demographic factors, social factors, and career goals. Participants' characteristics and interactions with other individuals and systems influenced their nursing specialty preferences and professional career plans. Conclusion: Nursing students' career interests are influenced by individual factors external to their nursing education, such as their age, gender, and life experiences. These student characteristics and experiences facilitated or inhibited a career in some nursing specialties, with the students gauging their ability to practice in a specialty during their CPs. Nursing education should expose and inform students about the core skills, career opportunities, and how to advance their careers in the different nursing specialties. Most importantly, final-year students may need formal career guidance to encourage nursing students' positive attitudes and career interests in different nursing specialties and make realistic career decisions.