A comparison of the career aspirations of degree and P2000 diploma graduates from UK nursing programmes

Abstract

AIM: This paper reports the findings from a study of career aspirations undertaken as part of a larger study on the graduate outcomes of two different preregistration nursing educational programmes in the UK. METHODS: A self-completion questionnaire was administered to 52 degree graduates and 28 diplomates from two Universities on completion of their course. FINDINGS: The findings suggest that while graduates appeared more definite over their long-term career goals, diplomates were more confident in their initial decision to enter the nursing profession. All respondents showed a marked tendency towards hospital-based clinical posts on graduation. Degree graduates displayed a greater interest in working overseas, nominating a far broader range of possible destinations and expressed interest in a wider range of further education courses, including Master's and PhD degrees. CONCLUSIONS: The career aspirations of degree graduates and diplomates revealed in this study highlight a number of issues with implications for workforce planning, recruitment and retainment. Further larger scale longitudinal research is warranted.