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

Background: 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 re-sources 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 recom-mended 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.

Automated summary

This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a project to support PhD nursing career development. The project provided guidance and resources for students to explore diverse career opportunities beyond academia. The feedback from participants was positive, with recommendations for the workshop to be held annually.