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

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Abstract
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. A self-completion questionnaire was administered to 52 degree graduates and 28 diplomates from two Universities on completion of their course. 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. 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.