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

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.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.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.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.

Duke Scholars

Author Jihye Scroggins  

Author Devon Noonan School of Nursing