Nursing careers in transition: Differential routing patterns from nursing education to nursing positions and work settings

摘要

This study examines the relationship between basic nursing education, jobs one and five years after graduation, and specific job transitions. Data consisted of information from applications for South Carolina Registered Nurse Licensure from 1981-1985. In addition, a factor analysis was performed on South Carolina hospital characteristics listed in American Hospital Association Guide to the Health Care Field.;Examination of nursing positions and work settings at one year for graduates of diploma, associate degree and baccalaureate schools revealed few differences among them. Over 80% of all new graduates were staff nurses and in hospital settings. The major factor identified by the factor analysis of hospitals was a size/complexity factor. There appeared to be differential routing into hospitals classified by this factor--diploma graduates were overrepresented in small, less complex hospitals, ADNs in medium hospitals, and baccalaureate graduates in larger hospitals.;At five years, baccalaureate graduates were significantly less likely to be staff nurses and in hospital settings. Distributed more evenly over all positions and work settings, they were also most likely to be out of nursing. While not greatly more represented in large, complex hospitals at five years, it was in such hospitals that the greatest amount of mobility out of the staff nurse position had occurred for baccalaureate graduates. Diploma graduates experienced the least mobility out of staff nurse and hospital work, with associate degree nurses in between.;Analysis of specific job transitions was accomplished by examining work positions and settings for adjacent years, using each nurse's license number as an identifier. The work histories thus created were analyzed using three log-linear regressions in which dependent variables were general position mobility, upward mobility and mobility out of staff nurse. Mid-career age, acquiring more education, and changing work settings all had significant positive effects on all mobility types. Diploma basic education was negatively correlated with all mobility types and there were no significant differences between associate and baccalaureate basic education.