Approaches of National and International Students Studying in the English Nursing Bachelor’s Program Regarding Career Planning and Career Future: A Descriptive and Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objectives: This descriptive and cross-sectional study aimed to investigate career planning and career future approaches of national and international students receiving nursing education in English. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with nursing undergraduates (n = 148) at a foundation university in Türkiye during the 2023-2024 academic year. Data were collected online through the Participants' Descriptive Characteristics Form and the 28-item Career Future Inventory-Revised (CFI-R). CFI-R consists of five factors, including Career Agency (CA), Negative Career Outlook (NCO), Occupational Awareness (OA), Support (SPT), and Work-Life Balance (WLB). Results: 41.89% of participants were first-year students, and 61.49% were national students. The mean CFI-R score was 3.70 ± 0.47, with factor values of CA = 4.07 ± 0.52, NCO = 2.81 ± 1.08, OA = 3.63 ± 0.59, SPT = 3.99 ± 0.72, and WLB = 3.99 ± 0.64. Desire to work in healthcare (n = 75), advice from family members (n = 32), and broad career opportunities globally (n = 15) were the primary reasons for choosing the English nursing program. The most common career plans were working abroad (n = 33), becoming an academic (n = 29), and achieving excellence in their field (n = 23). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that national and international nursing students have a positive attitude towards their career future and begin to set career goals during their undergraduate years. Career planning aligned with global trends and systems that track pre- and post-graduation career interests may support students. Awareness and skills of nursing students regarding international career orientations can be increased with an intercultural student-centered approach and interdisciplinary models. Multi-centered national and international studies are recommended for further research.