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Nurse Researcher Career Overview

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Job outlook, average earning potential, what does a nurse researcher do.

Nurse researcher jobs involve designing and carrying out research studies, either through new data that they create or from existing research. The following is a list of nurse researcher responsibilities:

Primary Responsibilities

• Designing nursing research studies
• Carrying out research
• Documenting that their research protects any human or animal subjects involved
• Publishing findings in peer-reviewed journals or books
• Presenting at conferences
• Keeping up with professional literature

Career Traits

• Strengths in analysis, observation, and written communication
• Ethical in publishing studies and the treatment of human or animal subjects

Credit: JGI/Tom Grill / Getty Images

Where Do Nurse Researchers Work?

Nurse researchers work in academic medical centers, government agencies, and other healthcare providers.

Academic Medical Centers

Nurse researchers in academic medical centers conduct research, publish results, and teach undergraduate or graduate students.

Government Agencies

In government agencies, these professionals perform research, share findings, and publish results internally or externally.

Nurse researchers working in publishing select articles for publication, review methodology and validity, and edit articles in collaboration with authors.

Why Should I Become a Nurse Researcher?

Research nurse jobs add to professional knowledge and help nurses to do their jobs with evidence-based research, improving healthcare outcomes. Nursing research doesn’t include the same physical demands as clinical nursing and offers more predictable schedules. However, nurse research jobs typically do not pay as much as clinical nursing roles.

Advantages To Becoming a Nurse Researcher

Disadvantages to becoming a nurse researcher, how to become a nurse researcher.

Becoming a nurse researcher requires developing skills in research methodology, informatics, statistics, and nursing itself.

Graduate with a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) or an associate degree in nursing (ADN).

Pass the nclex-rn exam to receive registered nurse (rn) licensure., begin research., apply to an accredited msn, doctor of nursing practice (dnp), or doctor of philosophy in nursing (ph.d.) program., earn an msn, dnp, or ph.d., apply for certification., how much do nurse researchers make.

The annual median research nurse salary is $81,500 . Generally, nurse researchers with doctoral degrees earn more than those with master’s-level education. Some research nurse professionals in academia qualify for tenure. In general, clinical research associates earn a median salary of $66,930 , while certified clinical research professionals earn an average salary of $72,430 . However, because of the RN credential, nurse researchers with these certifications generally earn above the average or median for those positions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a nurse researcher.

Nurse researcher careers require a significant time investment. It takes at least six years of education to earn an MSN and seven years for a doctorate. In addition, most MSN and doctoral programs require at least two years of experience as an RN.

Why is nursing research important?

Nursing research finds the most effective approaches to nursing and improves the outcomes for nurses, patients, and healthcare organizations. It builds the body of knowledge for nurse education.

What are some examples of responsibilities nurse researchers may have?

Professional responsibilities include protecting human or animal subjects in their research, designing studies that produce valid results, accurately reporting results, and sharing findings through publishing.

What opportunities for advancement are available to nurse researchers?

Research nurse jobs offer opportunities for advancement in the academic or research field, such as becoming primary investigator on studies of increasing scope and importance, advancement in administration, or receiving tenure as a professor or college instructor.

Resources for Nurse Researchers

International association of clinical research nurses, national institute of nursing research, the association of clinical research professionals, society of clinical research associates, related pages.

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Reviewed by:

Nicole Galan, RN, MSN

Nicole Galan is a registered nurse who earned a master’s degree in nursing education from Capella University and currently works as a full-time freelance writer. Throughout her nursing career, Galan worked in a general medical/surgical care unit and then in infertility care. She has also worked for over 13 years as a freelance writer specializing in consumer health sites and educational materials for nursing students.

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Home / Nursing Careers & Specialties / Research Nurse

Research Nurse

What does a research nurse do, becoming a research nurse, where do research nurses work, research nurse salary & employment, helpful organizations, societies, and agencies.

What Is a Research Nurse?

Research nurses conduct scientific research into various aspects of health, including illnesses, treatment plans, pharmaceuticals and healthcare methods, with the ultimate goals of improving healthcare services and patient outcomes. Also known as nurse researchers, research nurses design and implement scientific studies, analyze data and report their findings to other nurses, doctors and medical researchers. A career path that requires an advanced degree and additional training in research methodology and tools, research nurses play a critical role in developing new, potentially life-saving medical treatments and practices.

A highly specialized career path, becoming a nurse researcher requires an advanced degree and training in informatics and research methodology and tools. Often, research nurses enter the field as research assistants or clinical research coordinators. The first step for these individuals, or for any aspiring advanced practice nurse, is to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and pass the NCLEX-RN exam. Once a nurse has completed their degree and attained an RN license, the next step in becoming a research nurse is to complete a Master's of Science in Nursing program with a focus on research and writing. MSN-level courses best prepare nurses for a career in research, and usually include coursework in statistics, research for evidence-based practice, design and coordination of clinical trials, and advanced research methodology.

A typical job posting for a research nurse position would likely include the following qualifications, among others specific to the type of employer and location:

• MSN degree and valid RN license
• Experience conducting clinical research, including enrolling patients in research studies, implementing research protocol and presenting findings
• Excellent attention to detail required in collecting and analyzing data
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for interacting with patients and reporting research findings
• Experience in grant writing a plus

To search and apply for current nurse researcher positions, visit our job boards .

What Are the Education Requirements for Research Nurses?

The majority of nurse researchers have an advanced nursing degree, usually an MSN and occasionally a PhD in Nursing . In addition to earning an RN license, research nurses need to obtain specialized training in informatics, data collection, scientific research and research equipment as well as experience writing grant proposals, research reports and scholarly articles. Earning a PhD is optional for most positions as a research nurse, but might be required to conduct certain types of research.

Are Any Certifications or Credentials Needed?

Aside from a higher nursing degree, such as an MSN or PhD in Nursing, and an active RN license, additional certifications are often not required for work as a research nurse. However, some nurse researcher positions prefer candidates who have earned the Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) certification offered by the Society for Clinical Research Associates . In order to be eligible for this certification, candidates must have a minimum of two years' experience working in clinical research. The Association of Clinical Research Professionals also offers several certifications in clinical research, including the Clinical Research Associate Certification, the Clinical Research Coordinator Certification and the Association of Clinical Research Professionals – Certified Professional Credential. These certifications have varying eligibility requirements but generally include a number of hours of professional experience in clinical research and an active RN license.

Nurse researchers work in a variety of settings, including:

• Medical research organizations
• Research laboratories
• Universities
• Pharmaceutical companies

A research nurse studies various aspects of the healthcare industry with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes. Nurse researchers have specialized knowledge of informatics, scientific research and data collection and analysis, in addition to their standard nursing training and RN license. Nurse researchers often design their own studies, secure funding, implement their research and collect and analyze their findings. They may also assist in the recruitment of study participants and provide direct patient care for participants while conducting their research. Once a research project has been completed, nurse researchers report their findings to other nurses, doctors and medical researchers through written articles, research reports and/or industry speaking opportunities.

What Are the Roles and Duties of a Research Nurse?

• Design and implement research studies
• Observe patient care of treatment or procedures, and collect and analyze data, including managing databases
• Report findings of research, which may include presenting findings at industry conferences, meetings and other speaking engagements
• Write grant applications to secure funding for studies
• Write articles and research reports in nursing or medical professional journals or other publications
• Assist in the recruitment of participants for studies and provide direct patient care for participants

The Society of Clinical Research Associates reported a median salary for research nurses of $72,009 in their SoCRA 2015 Salary Survey , one of the highest-paying nursing specializations in the field. Salary levels for nurse researchers can vary based on the type of employer, geographic location and the nurse's education and experience level. Healthcare research is a growing field, so the career outlook is bright for RNs interested in pursuing an advanced degree and a career in research.

• National Institute of Nursing Research
• Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science
• International Association of Clinical Research Nurses
• Nurse Researcher Magazine

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Nurse Researcher

Nurse researchers are scientists who study various aspects of health, illness and health care. By designing and implementing scientific studies, they look for ways to improve health, health care services and health care outcomes.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 19% growth rate for nurse researchers between the year 2012 and 2022, a faster than average rate compared many other careers.

Nurse researchers identify research questions, design and conduct scientific studies, collect and analyze data and report their findings. They often rely on grants to fund their work, which requires writing grant proposals and meeting certain reporting requirements. Many teach in academic or clinical settings and often write articles and research reports for nursing, medical and other professional journals and publications. Nurse researchers often partner with scientists in other fields, such as pharmacy, nutrition, medicine and engineering, to better address complex questions and problems.

Nurse researchers may begin their research careers in positions such as research assistant, clinical data coordinator and clinical research monitor.

The title of principle investigator reflects the most senior research role and greatest responsibility and accountability associated with a research study.

Studies conducted by these dedicated researchers are uncovering such things as new and better ways to:

• Deliver health care services more effectively and efficiently
• Improve quality of life for patients suffering from chronic illnesses
• Encourage patients to make healthy choices about nutrition, fitness and lifestyle
• Assure patient safety and prevent injury and illness
• Provide care and comfort to patients at the end of life

The results of nursing research help build the knowledge base and provide the evidence to guide interventions by nurses and other health care workers. For example, nursing research is improving prenatal care, patient recovery after heart transplant and pain management for cancer and other patients.

Working Conditions

Nurse researchers work in a number of different places, from health care facilities and universities to research organizations and laboratories. Private companies and nonprofit organizations focused on health care issues also hire nurse researchers.

Because research studies are often individually funded projects, nurse researchers may move from project to project, working for a specific time period until the grant money ends. The nurse researcher must then seek other funded studies or employment opportunities.

The work of conducting research studies, especially collecting and tabulating data, can involve a lot of repetitive activity and rote data entry. But it can be exciting and rewarding to contribute to research that results in new ways to improve health care delivery.

Nurse researchers write competitive grant applications, report study results and prepare journal articles so good writing skills are essential. They also may present at conferences and meetings, describing their research, its findings and methodology.

Salary Range and Outlook

The average salary for a nurse researcher is $95,000. In addition to research activities, nurse researchers with advanced degrees can supplement their income by writing books, teaching, consulting and speaking at conferences and other events.

Academic Requirements

Nurse scientists arrive at their research careers in a number of ways, although all of them have doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees. Traditionally, registered nurses would work for a few years before going back to school to get advanced degrees and begin work as a nurse researcher. However, that meant that their research careers started much later in life, often when they were in their mid-fifties. Today, nurses enter Ph.D. programs soon after getting their degree and becoming registered nurses.

Learn More About a Career as a Nurse Researcher

• A Curious Mind: Patients, providers, and communities find healing thanks to the nurses who ask “why?”
• How to Become a Nurse Researcher
• Nurse Researcher: A career, not just a job
• Nursing research: Nurses know best
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• American Nurses Association
• National Institute of Nursing Research
• National Student Nurses Association

How to Become a Research Nurse

Research Nurse Overview

• What You Will Do: You will work as a part of a team involved in clinical research studies evaluating patient care practices.
• Where Will You Work: Research nurses may work in a variety of settings, such as hospital/medical centers, universities, pharmaceutical companies, research organizations and government agencies.
• Employment Projections: Nursing is expected to be the fastest-growing professions, with growth projected at 16% – 26%; similarly, the employment outlook for research nurses is excellent, with a projected growth rate of 19% by 2022.
• How Much Will I Earn: The median annual salary for research nurses ranges from $74,177 to $91,107, with an average annual salary of $82,708.
• Requirements to Become One: Become a Registered Nurse (RN) by completing an accredited nursing program earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN),  then passing the NCLEX-RN examination to obtain licensure.

Online Nursing Programs That Might Interest You

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Steps to Become a Research Nurse

• Earn Your RN: You must earn an RN degree from an accredited nursing program, earning Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The BSN is the base level education for research nursing. Nurses with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing would need to bridge into an RN to BSN program .
• Pass the NCLEX-RN Exam: All RNs must pass the NCLEX-RN exam to obtain licensure to practice nursing.
• Gain Clinical Experience as a Professional Registered Nurse: It is important to gain clinical experience as a professional nurse, in preparation for moving into a specialty role. In addition, seek opportunities to participate in research-related activities, such as Quality Assurance or Infection Control.
• Seek Employment as a Research Nurse: You must have a minimum of 3000 – 6000 hours experience in clinical research nursing to be eligible for certification.
• Obtain Certification as a Research Nurse: Obtain this certification from the Association for Clinical Research Professionals.

What is a Research Nurse?

Research Nurses are involved in conducting healthcare related scientific research with the goals of improving patient care services and patient outcomes. Research nurses have knowledge of informatics, research design, and data collection and analysis. Research nurses may participate in research design within a research team, or for their own studies, as well as securing funding, recruiting participants and providing direct care for participants. When a research project has been completed, research nurses report findings to nurses and other healthcare professionals through written research reports or articles, or in speaking opportunities such as conferences or workshops. Specific roles and duties include;

• Design and implementation of research studies
• Observing patient care related to treatment or procedures,
• Collecting and analyzing data, including managing databases
• Reporting findings of research, presenting findings at industry conferences, meetings and other speaking engagements
• Writing grant applications to secure funding for studies
• Writing articles and research reports in nursing or medical professional journals or other publications
• Assisting in the recruitment of participants for studies and
• Providing direct patient care for participants

How Do I Become a Research Nurse?

The first step toward becoming an infection control nurse is to become a Registered Nurse, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) from an accredited nursing program. After graduation, you must obtain RN licensure by taking the NCLEX-RN examination in your state. Once you have achieved licensure, you will need to gain clinical experience as an RN. Following gaining this experience, then seek employment in a research nursing role, in order to progress toward certification.

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals offers two certifications for research nurses; Certified Clinical Research Associate (CCRA) or Certified Clinical Research Coordinator CCRC).

Eligibility requirements for CCRA are:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (or higher)
• Verify adherence to the clinical protocol, appropriate clinical practices and regulatory requirements related to the protection and ethical treatment of human subjects.
• Ensure identification and reporting of safety issues.
• Perform monitoring activities per the monitoring plan.
• Review accuracy and completeness of research site records.
• Ensure accountability of Investigational Product and related supplies.
• Ensure complete reporting and correct documentation of monitoring activities.
• Conduct routine monitoring visits independently from the investigative study staff.
• Ensure the research site staff is identifying issues and implementing corrective and preventive actions to ensure inspection readiness.

Eligibility requirements for CCRC are:

• Report and document safety issues.
• Participate in the preparation or review of documents exchanged with the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
• Participate in protocol review or planning of study procedures.
• Participate in conduction subject visits.
• Collect accurate, verifiable data, source documents, and essential documents.
• Prepare for and participate in audits and/or regulatory inspections.
• Participate in the informed consent process.

Certification is valid for 2 years, after which it must be renewed by participating in continuing education/involvement activities, reporting 24 contact hours every 2 years, or successful completion of the current certification exam.

Where Do Research Nurses Typically Work?

Research nurses work within a variety of health care settings, including;

• Hospital/medical centers
• Universities
• Healthcare research organizations
• Pharmaceutical corporations
• Government agencies
• Research laboratories

How Much Do Research Nurses Earn?

Nursing, in general, is identified as one of the fastest growing professions in the US in terms of salary, with a projected growth of 16% – 26%, much higher than the national average. Specialty certification can increase earnings significantly. The median annual salary for research nurses ranges from $74,177 to $91,107, with an average annual salary of $82,708. This is dependent on the specific job and employer, and the geographical area. Salaries are generally higher in urban areas, however, the cost of living is typically higher, as well. In addition, research nurse with a Master’s degree (MSN) or higher, tend to earn higher salaries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the top five states for general nursing salaries are (range $96,470 – $102,700);

• Massachusetts

Research Nurse Programs

At the undergraduate level, specialty-related education consists of continuing education activities, such as conferences or online CEU providers. For example, the Association of Clinical Research Professionals offers basic level education, and resources needed for maintaining certification. Examples of related topics include:

• Introduction to Clinical Trials
• Introduction to Good Clinical Practice
• Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC)
• CDISC standards related to collection and submission of data
• Implementing a Patient-centered Informed Consent Process
• Best Practices for Clinical Trial Inspections
• Ethics and Human Subject Protection
• Understanding Clinical Trial Protocols
• Managing Clinical Trials in an Electronic Environment

At the graduate level, research nurses have at least a Master’s Degree in Nursing (MSN) , or may progress to a PhD or Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree . An MSN curriculum will include courses related to reviewing and conducting research in conjunction within the specialty area. A more specific focus on research will be found in terminal degree (PhD or DNP) programs. Examples of graduate programs include;

• Duke University, Durham, NC; MSN, PhD and DNP programs. PhD program focus on interdisciplinary research. https://nursing.duke.edu/
• Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA; MSN in Clinical Research, Online Program – https://nursing.duke.edu/
• University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL; Master of Research administration, Online Program – https://www.ucf.edu/online/
• Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH; Master of Applied Clinical and Preclinical Research, Online Program  – https://nursing.osu.edu/
• University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, Cincinnati, OH; PhD in Nursing Research – https://nursing.uc.edu/

Related Careers: Nursing Informatics

What is a Typical Research Nurse Curriculum?

Topics addressed in Research Nurse curricula include:

• Research Methods and Biostatistics
• Evaluation and Translation of Health Research
• Foundations of Good Clinical Practice in Clinical Research
• Concepts of Clinical Research Management
• Human Subjects Research in Biomedical Sciences
• Management of Clinical and Preclinical Studies
• Data Analysis and Interpretation
• Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• Ethics and Research Integrity
• Research Design and Methods

The Role of the Research Nurse in the Healthcare Provider Shortage

The Bureau of Labor Statistics cites that employment for nurses will increase at a rate of 16% – %20 by 2024. There is a national shortage of nurses in general related to the Baby Boomer population entering retirement, and the increased health needs of the growing aging population. It is projected that the South and West will be hardest hit by the nursing shortage. The 12 states expected to have the most acute shortages are: Florida , Georgia , Texas , Virginia , Alaska , Arizona , California , Hawaii , Idaho , Montana , Nevada and New Mexico .

Research nurses will be in continued demand, as their knowledge and expert skills are needed in the growing field of healthcare research. Research nurses will be pursued by pharmaceutical companies, research laboratories, universities, private companies, independent research organizations, and hospitals/medical centers.

Research Nurse Resources

• The Association of Clinical Research Professionals – https://acrpnet.org/
• National Institute of Nursing Research –   https://www.ninr.nih.gov/
• Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science – http://www.nursingscience.org/home
•  International Association of Clinical Research Nurses – https://iacrn.org/
• Nurse Researcher – https://rcni.com/nurse-researcher

References  

• Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium – https://www.cdisc.org/
• EveryNurse – https://everynurse.org/
• Payscale.com – https://www.registerednursing.org/
• Salary.com – https://www1.salary.com
• Study.com – https://study.com/
• US Department of Labor; Bureau of Labor Statistics – https://www.bls.gov/

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Karen is a Registered Nurse, graduating with a BSN in nursing in 1972 from North Park College in Chicago, Illinois. Her graduate degree was earned at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, in 1985. While her major clinical area specialty has been maternal/infant, pediatrics nursing, and women’s health, she has also worked in med-surg and adult ICU environments. She have 22 years’ experience in a faculty role, the past 7 years in an online venue.

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Nursing at the NIH Clinical Center

Clinical research nurses are an essential component of the intramural clinical research program. The career path for Clinical Research Nurses includes a core component of advancement in research skills and supports graduate and post-graduate training. Research training for nurses, like its medical counterpart, is integrated into specialty practice training and supports progression through increasingly complex levels of clinical practice and research involvement. Nurses with advanced academic training and clinical practice experience serve in different capacities. Clinical Nurse Specialists support the development of specialty practice and improvement of patient outcomes in all our practice areas. Advanced practice nurses, including nurse consultants and nurse educators work in a variety of inpatient and ambulatory care settings. They collaborate with research teams to provide continuity of care for patients enrolled in clinical trials.

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Research Nurse

Documentation

You’ll write research reports of your findings and articles for medical journals and other publications, and grant applications.

Observation

You’ll collect and analyze data and manage databases, patient care treatments, and procedures.

Presentation

You’ll present your research findings at conferences and other speaking engagements.

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• Pharmaceutical companies

Get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

Pass the NCLEX-RN and work as a Registered Nurse.

Get your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

While it’s not required, a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) may be necessary for certain kinds of research.

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• Fostering career interest in community nursing: early strategic approaches in education, clinical placements, and mentorship for nursing students are crucial
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• Ayan Mack 1 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7499-5050 Tanvir C Turin 1 , 2
• 1 Department of Community Health Sciences , University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine , Calgary , Alberta , Canada
• 2 Department of Family Medicine , University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine , Calgary , Alberta , Canada
• Correspondence to Dr Tanvir C Turin, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Canada; turin.chowdhury{at}ucalgary.ca

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• Nurses- Community Health

Commentary on: Chee, JMP, Rusli KDB, Tan ZYA, Tan AJQ, Ang SGM, Lau ST, Seah B, Liaw SY. Perceptions of community care among nursing students: A cross-sectional study with implications to the nursing workforce. Nurse Education Today . 2024; 137:106162. 10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106162

Implications for education and research

With the shift towards delivering healthcare services in homes, communities and primary healthcare settings, nursing curricula should integrate community nursing early in the program and provide diverse placements with mentorship opportunities to highlight career paths in this specialty.

Future research should explore effective implementation strategies to enhance student perceptions of community care and address workforce challenges in this field.

The increasing demand for postacute and home-based care programmes creates an urgent need to expand the community nursing workforce. 1 However, a gap in attracting graduates into community care contributes to a problematic shortage of community nurses. 1 2 Nurse shortages can seriously affect community health by impeding healthcare access and worsening disparities leading to inferior health outcomes. Since nursing students represent the future workforce, their perspectives on community care remain important. 2 A cross-sectional study conducted by Chee et al 2 at Singapore University explored the perceptions of undergraduate nursing students regarding community care and their placement preferences to identify factors discouraging them from pursuing careers in community nursing. Identifying these deterrents can address the nursing workforce gap and improve community health and well-being.

With a 55.7% response rate (501/900), the majority of participants were first-year students(32.5%), females (82.8%) and of Chinese ethnicity (84.4%). Only one-third of the participants had positive perceptions of community nursing and preferred placement in community care settings. Most students preferred acute care hospitals (68.7%) for placement. Those who preferred home-based or intermediate long-term care placements had a more optimistic view of community nursing compared with those favouring acute care settings. Perceptions varied across students’ years. The results highlight the complexity of factors influencing students’ placement preferences and the connection of their preferences to their career aspirations.

Community health nurses play a critical role in delivering personalised precision healthcare services beyond the confines of traditional hospital settings. By reaching into communities, these nurses provide essential services tailored to the needs of individuals and families, promoting health and fostering wellness. 1 2 However, despite the increasing demand for their services, the field faces significant challenges in attracting graduates. This challenge stems from misconceptions about the roles and responsibilities of community nurses and perceived limited career advancement within this specialisation. 2 Consequently, many nursing students gravitate towards acute care hospital settings; as a result, there is a noticeable workforce gap in the community. 4

The preference of nursing graduates for acute care or specialty settings can significantly exacerbate workforce shortages in the community, widening health disparities and limiting access to quality healthcare, particularly in vulnerable populations. These factors indicate the emergence of a significant societal problem that urgently requires resolution. 1 Effectively mitigating this challenge demands concerted collaboration among nursing educational institutions, healthcare entities and policy-makers. Through strategic endeavours, we can improve the workforce deficit, cultivate a favourable perception of the field to attract new graduates and champion the pivotal role of community health nursing. 4

Key strategies to promote community nursing may include integrating community care experiences early into the nursing curriculum and providing exposure through structured programmes, workshops and quality community placement opportunities with positive role model mentors. 1 2 4 Immersing students in the unique responsibilities of community nurses can dispel misconceptions and inspire them to make a meaningful difference in the communities they serve. Additionally, offering quality placements in community settings through mentorship allows students to gain firsthand experience and develop competencies outside of traditional hospital environments, fostering an optimistic community nursing career outlook. 4 An influx of graduates, including culturally and linguistically competent nurses, into community nursing roles can enhance access to quality healthcare, particularly for underserved communities, significantly improving the long-term health and well-being of all communities.

• van Iersel M ,
• Latour CHM ,
• de Vos R , et al
• Rusli KDB ,
• Tan ZYA , et al
• Latour C , et al
• Frauendienst R

Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing interests None declared.

Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

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Health Care Access & Coverage

Top 5 Reasons Why U.S. Nurses Are Leaving Their Jobs

Study suggests hospitals could improve working conditions to retain nursing staff, julia hinckley, jd.

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The seismic departures in the nursing workforce threaten to impair access and quality of care across the country. And these trends concerned health care leaders and policymakers even before the major disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Today, hospitals continue struggling to fill openings even though the U.S. has never had more actively-licensed nurses (5.6 million), driven by record-breaking graduations from schools and a robust job forecast. 

To understand what is driving the exodus, Penn LDI researchers surveyed more than 7,800 nurses who left employment between 2018 and 2021, and published their findings in a recent study in JAMA Network Open . 

Here are the top five reasons why nurses left their jobs:

• Planned retirement . Of those surveyed, 30% left employment for a retirement they had planned.
• Burnout. About 1 in 4 respondents reported that they left because of burnout.  
• Insufficient staffing. Related to experiencing burnout, 21% of those surveyed identified a lack of sufficient staffing as the cause of their departure.
• Poor work-life balance. The inability to balance restrictive and often unpredictable work schedules with family life led about 18% of respondents to depart from their jobs.
• Concerns related to COVID-19. Of those surveyed, 17% said concerns about COVID-19, including concern about family member exposure, led to their departure. 

The researchers point out that all of these reasons (aside from planned retirement) are factors within the control of the institutions. They argue that substantive improvements to work conditions could ease the nursing retention crisis.

The study, “ Top Factors in Nurses Ending Health Care Employment Between 2018 and 2021 ,” was published on April 9, 2024 in JAMA Network Open . Authors include K. Jane Muir , Joshua Porat-Dahlerbruch, Jacqueline Nikpour , Kathryn Leep-Lazar, and Karen B. Lasater .

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• About Norwich

Challenges in Nursing and How to Work Through Them

April 25, 2024

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The Challenges of Being a Nurse

Nursing is one of the most rewarding and challenging professions in health care. During a 12-hour shift, nurses may take on a demanding workload due to staffing shortages; endure workplace bullying; risk exposure to infection; and, despite all their professional experience, still lose patients.

These challenges were especially prevalent during the height COVID-19. A survey of health care workers, including nurses, during the pandemic reported that 93% felt stressed, 82% experienced emotional exhaustion, and 75% felt overwhelmed. Furthermore, more than 30% of nurses who left the profession cited burnout — mental and emotional exhaustion — as the cause.

Although these challenges in nursing may seem insurmountable, nurse leaders and other health care experts are focused on alleviating nursing stress. Doing so can help prevent burnout, reduce medical errors, and improve patient care.

Nurses compose the largest part of the health care workforce. More than 5 million people have active nursing licenses (registered nurses, or RNs) nationwide, with those practicing working mainly in hospitals and long-term care. Being on the front line in providing direct patient care, nurses are vulnerable to numerous stressors that impact their physical and emotional health. It’s no surprise that 50% of nurses treating COVID-19 patients have reported symptoms of depression.

Many challenges of being a nurse can contribute to stress, burnout, and depression. Without the proper coping mechanisms, these challenges can lead to medical errors, risks to patient safety, and poorer health outcomes.

Patient Deaths

Nurses cite patient death as a leading cause of stress. Because nurses spend more time with patients and their families than other health care workers they often form an emotional connection with patients who die. Nurses grieve in many ways, harder for some patients than others. RNs have various tactics that help them to cope with patient death.

RNs who provide professional nursing care to patients also provide emotional support to them. They must have difficult conversations with patients and their families. This impacts nurses’ own emotional health.

Nursing Graduate Programs at a Glance

Nurses may also choose to earn postgraduate degrees, such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). These degree programs can involve special areas of clinical focus, but they’re essentially comprehensive courses of study, with in-depth coverage of clinical practice, nursing ethics, nurse leadership, and more.

Earning a graduate degree can be an important way for nurses to take on positions of greater leadership and authority, as well as higher salaries. The downside is that nursing graduate programs are typically expensive. They’re also time-consuming: For nurses who already have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), earning an MSN usually takes at least another two years.

Those who have concerns about scheduling flexibility and work-life balance may opt for an online graduate program, which offers more accommodation for an already busy life.

Communication Challenges

Effective communication with patients and other health care professionals is often challenging for nurses for several reasons. This can be especially true with cross-cultural patient communication. Language barriers or cultural nuances can result in miscommunication of vital health information among nurses and their patients.

Staff Shortages

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care industry suffered from a nurse shortage. As a result of staffing shortages, nurses may work double shifts or be responsible for more patients. Overwork can lead to fatigue, resulting in medical errors. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that about 194,500 RN open positions exist each year. Reasons for the shortage include:

• High turnover. Up to 57% of nurses leave the profession in the first three years; between 17% and 30% leave during their first year.
• Nurses nearing retirement. RNs begin to retire at an average of 51 years of age. Their departure puts more pressure on the profession.
• Shortage of nursing school faculty. A shortage of nursing school faculty limits the number of new nurses who can pursue training each year.
• Increased demand. The aging U.S. population and the COVID-19 pandemic are just two reasons for the increased demand for nurses.
• Specialization. Specialization of care and an experience-complexity gap are causing a shortage of nurses with the right technical training and experience.

High Patient Ratios

Staffing shortages can result in high patient ratios, a challenge in nursing that can lead to poor patient outcomes. For instance, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses may become responsible for three or more patients rather than just one or two. This increase in responsibility can result in missed care or medical errors.

Risk of Infection, Injury, and Death

The BLS states that RNs are at risk of various injuries. The most common are back injuries (from lifting patients); coming into contact with harmful substances (needlesticks, harmful chemicals); and contracting diseases, such as the coronavirus. An estimated 3,000 health care workers, including nurses, died of COVID-19 in 2020.

COVID-19 Fears

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many nurses feared they would transmit the coronavirus to their spouse, children, and other family members. Many nurses took extreme measures, such as washing their clothes as soon as returning home and showering before hugging their children, to avoid infecting their loved ones.

Workplace Violence

Nurses may experience workplace violence including bullying and verbal abuse from doctors, fellow nurses and health care workers, and patients and their families. At the extreme end, they may be victims of physical abuse. Workplace violence is often unreported, and can take an emotional and physical toll on sufferers.

Electronic Medical Records

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are a significant part of a nurse’s stress. Although the goal of this technology is to ensure that staff have the most up-to-date patient information, some nurses cite EMR data entry as a high-stress, laborious process that takes them away from patient care.

Moral Distress

Nurses experience moral distress, also known as moral injury, when performing a task that runs counter to their professional ethics or knowledge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses suffered moral distress when not having sufficient resources, such as ventilators, to treat patients. Nurses also may be susceptible to moral distress when their workplace devalues their training and expertise.

Twelve-Hour Shifts

The 12-hour shift is standard for the nursing profession. However, it is linked to fatigue and medical errors, especially when nurses must work double shifts or cover too many patients. Experts are calling for a move to eight-hour shifts to alleviate nurses’ working conditions and improve patient care.

How Nurses Deal with Stress

Other challenges in nursing are the various physical and mental health symptoms experienced due to stress. Symptoms can range from mild to debilitating. To manage stress and its symptoms, nurses can seek support and find effective coping mechanisms. This can improve their mental health, reduce errors and burnout, and improve patient outcomes.

Several different methods for how nurses may deal with stress exist.

Symptoms of Stress

Physical symptoms of stress include headaches and stomachaches, changes in appetite, poor sleep quality, and exhaustion. Emotional symptoms include anxiety, dread, fear, and compassion fatigue.

Stress Awareness

Managing nurses’ stress is crucial to avoiding burnout and continuing to provide patient care. Fortunately, awareness of the problem grows in the health care community. Hospitals and other workplaces are increasing the availability of programs to help nurses manage stress and increase job satisfaction.

Mindfulness, Meditation, and Gratitude Journaling

Mindfulness, including the act of gratitude journaling, and meditation, including yoga and breathing exercises, can help people in challenging situations manage stress. Many mindfulness and meditation apps are available free online. Research supports gratitude journaling as an effective way to boost happiness and alleviate symptoms of depression.

Getting enough rest is critical to maintaining health and mental acuity. Nurses who make sleep a priority can improve their mental and emotional health. An RN who works a 12-hour night shift but also has family responsibilities may have to reestablish a good sleep schedule.

Nurses on short-staffed floors have little time to take a restroom break, let alone to sit down to a healthy lunch or dinner. Poor nutrition, too much caffeine, and not enough water can lead to adverse health effects. Eating right is one way to improve physical well-being, increase energy, and reduce stress.

Although nurses are on their feet all day, they often don’t have the time to exercise, which can clear the head and release endorphins. Making time for the gym, a walk in the fresh air, or yoga can help nurses destress and improve their outlook.

Workplace Support

Support from employers and co-workers can help nurses recognize they aren’t going it alone. Hospitals that provide nurses with safety initiatives, for example, can increase nursing job satisfaction. Emotional, mental, and physical wellness programs also can be successful.

Family Support

Reconnecting with loved ones and making family time a priority can help nurses destress and relax. Nurses can ask partners and spouses to take over family responsibilities during busy periods. Although caregiving comes naturally to nurses, having someone care for them may help relieve stress.

Talk Therapy

Nurses may endure high-stress experiences daily. Taking the time to talk with a mental health professional, such as a hospital chaplain or social worker, can help nurses cope better emotionally. Some hospitals and other workplaces have mental health support programs for their nursing and health care staff.

Professional Development

Continuing professional education is an excellent way to manage stress and other challenges in nursing. Upskilling and training can offer fresh perspectives to health care practices and new career opportunities. Nurses who learn new skills, or invest in their careers, are typically more engaged with their work. Hospitals that value continuing education for their nursing staff show that they recognize nursing’s professional contributions to medical care.

How Nurses Can Help Families Cope with Stress

Hospital patients and their families also may face high levels of stress. Patients may be in pain or discomfort, and fearful about hospital procedures. As a result, family members may feel protective and frightened on their loved one’s behalf.

Nurses can help families cope with stress by providing a professional presence to respond to questions and provide reassurances. Reducing stress also is a factor in how well patients and their families weather the recovery phase, which may help reduce post-intensive care syndrome, a condition that can cause PTSD in patients.

Nurses can help manage the distress of patients and their families in several ways.

Include the Families in Health Care Discussions

When patients and families are not updated on a patient’s diagnosis or treatment, their stress can worsen, causing distrust in health care providers. This distrust can lead to more nursing challenges and poor patient outcomes. Nurses who include families in health care discussions help everyone understand the patient’s condition and prepare them for the subsequent treatments. This matter-of-fact communication is crucial to alleviating stress and anxiety in patients and their families.

A Compassionate Ear

Patients see nurses more than doctors. They may establish a rapport with their nurse, and feel more open about asking questions and revealing anxieties. Nurses who listen to their patients’ grievances or fears can uncover insights that may help with the recovery process.

Coping Strategies

A component of nursing is helping patients cope with a serious or life-threatening diagnosis. Nurses help patients cope with medical conditions by being compassionate to their fears and recommending healthy coping strategies. They may help patients identify priorities, such as getting their affairs in order. Nurses also help families cope after hearing a loved one’s diagnosis by facilitating counseling with hospital social workers or chaplains.

Professional Insight

RNs use their training to understand what patients and their families aren’t saying. Careful observation can help prevent stress-related outcomes, such as anxiety and depression. Nurses can pass along their observations and recommendations to medical staff, which can become a part of the treatment plan.

Guidance Through Grief

Nurses can help guide families of recently-deceased patients through the grieving process. They may be the first to tell the family that their loved one has died. They can make sure that families have access to hospital counseling services and help them through a difficult period.

Patient and Family Advocacy

Nurses can help patients and families navigate the confusing, often stressful hospital experience. They coordinate with other members of the care team, preparing patients for their next medical procedure or through hospital discharge. They educate patients about medications, doctor’s orders, and other information needed for a successful recovery.

How Nurses Cope with the Death of Patients

Patient deaths are part of the nursing profession. Even so, coping with death is one of the most difficult challenges in nursing. Death can affect nurses in different ways. Some may feel the death of a child more deeply than that of an elderly patient. They may feel grief about the death of a patient with whom they had a rapport. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have dealt with the increasing burnout and fatigue associated with patient deaths.

Several different methods for how nurses may cope with the deaths of patients exist.

Some nurses compartmentalize or detach from their emotions. This may happen more when nurses have experienced more patient death, such as during the COVID pandemic. They also may compartmentalize their feelings during their shift, and, then, express their grief while on break or when driving home.

Adaptive Coping

Although many nurses practice detachment, experts report that a better method is adaptive coping. Experts urge nurses to practice adaptive coping, such as prayer or meditation, debriefing with colleagues, and taking a moment of silence or solitude to grieve and accept the patient’s death. Being comfortable with death and dying is essential to being a nurse.

Nurses may seek advice from the hospital chaplain or social workers after the death of a patient. Workplaces that provide emotional support for nurses can help them manage stress. These programs also can assure nurses that they value their professional experience.

Support from Loved Ones

Nurses often get close to patients in their care. When they lose a patient, it can feel like losing a friend or family member. Nurses who let their loved ones know about patient deaths can help relieve the grief. Families can provide emotional support by listening compassionately.

Some nurses practice self-care. They may treat themselves to a lighthearted movie or time with family and friends. They may practice gratitude or mindfulness, in recognition that they have a hard job and death comes with the territory.

Code Lavender and Tea for the Soul

Some hospitals and health care providers have a Code Lavender program. This program provides mental and emotional support for grieving health care professionals, including nurses, as well as patients and their families. Similarly, Tea for the Soul is a chaplain-led program for nurses and their specific professional challenges, such as moral distress and compassion fatigue.

Learning How to Manage Stress

Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other medical facilities cannot function without nurses. However, many challenges in nursing can lead to stress and burnout. Nurses who have the support of their workplaces and who can successfully manage their stress are better positioned to provide high-quality care to their patients. They will make fewer errors due to fatigue and burnout. In short, stress management for nurses leads to better patient outcomes.

Nurses who understand what it takes to provide the best care to patients qualify to be leaders, and they can take on advanced roles with the right training. With a core curriculum that can prepare students for nursing leadership, evidence-based practice, and care quality improvement, Norwich University’s online Master of Science in Nursing and online Master of Science in Nursing: Nurse Practitioner programs can prepare students for professional success. Discover more of the program details and start pursuing a career in nursing today.

The Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in COVID-19 , Mental Health America

‘Gone Are the Days When Organizations Can Just Offer Bonuses’: How to Competitively Recruit, Retain Nurses , Becker’s Hospital Review

Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Nurse Burnout in the US , JAMA Network Open

Active RN Licenses , National Council of State Boards of Nursing

Nurses Reveal the 11 Hardest Parts of Their Job, From the Death of Patients to Not Having Time to Pee During a Shift , Insider

Challenges of Cultural Diversity in Healthcare: Protect Your Patients and Yourself , The Doctors Company

Nurse Fatigue Creates a Dangerous Environment , NSO

Registered Nurses , U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

National Nursing Workforce Study , National Council of State Boards of Nursing

AACN Fact Sheet – Nursing Shortage , American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Nursing Shortage , National Center for Biotechnology Information

The Experience-Complexity Gap: The Long and Short of Staffing Numbers , American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

Austin Area Nursing Shortage Builds as Pandemic Persists , Community Impact

Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Among Registered Nurses , U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

One Year into the Pandemic, More Than 3000 Healthcare Workers Have Died of COVID-19 , Medscape

Nurses’ Challenges, Concerns and Unfair Requirements During the COVID-19 Outbreak , SAGE Journals

Violence Against Healthcare Workers: A Rising Epidemic , The American Journal of Managed Care

What Hospitals Need to Know: Nurse Moral Injury , Relias

Healthcare Workers Experiencing Burnout, Stress Due to COVID-19 Pandemic , Healthcare Finance

White Paper: From Cost Center to Value Center , Fastaff

Combating Stress , American Nurses Association

“If You Feel Thankful, Write It Down. It’s Good for Your Health,” NPR

Nurses Key to Reducing Stress for Patients’ Families , American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

How to Help Patients Cope with a Terminal Illness Diagnosis , MPI

Coping with Death as a Nurse , BoardVitals

An Effective In-Hospital Chaplaincy-Led Care Program for Nurses: Tea for the Soul a Qualitative Investigation , National Center for Biotechnology Information

Code Lavender and Preventing PTSD in Healthcare , TheHappyMD.com

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Insights from defining nurses' career success: An integrative review

Masako yamada.

1 Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai Japan

Kyoko Asakura

Shoko sugiyama, nozomu takada, associated data.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

To review the literature and identify factors that make sense of and influence nurses' career success. We sought to provide insights into achieving nurses' career success.

An integrative review conducted in May 2022 using Whittemore and Knafl's methodology of integrative review.

The databases searched were PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL. Search criteria included the keywords “nurs*” and “career success” in the title and abstract. The quality of the reviewed papers was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Tool for cross‐sectional studies and qualitative research. We extracted five types of information from quantitative studies: the definition of career success, factors of career success instruments, reliability or validity of career success instruments, and factors influencing nursing career success. Furthermore, we extracted two types of information from qualitative studies: themes that imply career success and factors that influence nurses' career success. Primary data were categorized into two perspectives: (1) what nurses' career success means and (2) what influences nurses' career success. Categorized data were unified into similar contents. Themes were developed from unified subgroups.

Fourteen studies were included in the analysis. Seven themes were integrated into the factors that make sense of nurses' career success: satisfaction, positive attitude towards work, quality work in nursing, continuation of career and professional development, positive interaction at work, person–organization fit, and enrichment of an individual's life. Three themes were integrated into the factors influencing nursing career success: personal resources, positive behavior toward nursing work and research, and job resources and environment.

No Patient or Public Contribution

Patients or members of the public were not involved in this review.

1. INTRODUCTION

Successful nursing career development can be deeply related to an individual nurse's work and life. This achievement is vital to continuing nursing as a profession or extracting pleasure from nursing work. Nursing professionals worldwide are required to take responsibility for their careers and professional development (Donner & Wheeler,  2010 ; Philippou,  2015 ; Yamada et al.,  2022 ). In particular, as professionals, individual nurses are expected to keep their knowledge and skills up to date in order to adapt to dynamically evolving healthcare settings (Hakvoort et al.,  2022 ; King et al.,  2021 ; Mlambo et al.,  2021 ). Thus, the importance of career and professional development for nurses has been emphasized over time and across borders.

However, it remains unclear as to what a successful nursing career requires and what constitutes success. To clarify these issues, we focused on the concept of career success, that is, career outcomes. Integrating the factors that make sense of and influence career success using previous research conducted with nurses provides insights into achieving nurses' career success. This review aimed to clarify what influences and shapes career success for nurses.

2. BACKGROUND

Career studies have focused on the concept of career success to address the issue of measuring career outcomes. Career success is defined as “the achievement of desirable work‐related outcomes at any point in a person's work experiences over time” (Arthur et al.,  2005 ). Traditionally, career success has been measured in objective or subjective terms (Arthur et al.,  2005 ; Heslin,  2005 ). Typically, objective career success is indicated by salary and promotion, while subjective career success is indicated by job or career satisfaction (Heslin,  2005 ). However, the labor market has become increasingly dynamic over time, leading to people pursuing more flexible careers. These changes have resulted in most studies in the past decade examining subjective career success, with only a few assessing objective career success (Akkermans & Kubasch,  2017 ). As subjective career success criteria are based on personal standards and preferences, what makes career success meaningful and how career success should be measured are explored (Mayrhofer et al.,  2016 ; Shockley et al.,  2016 ).

In the last few decades, several studies have reported that future research should investigate the constructs and antecedents of career success for different occupational groups. Heslin ( 2005 ) mentions paying greater attention to how people in different career contexts conceptualize their career success. Nonetheless, Akkermans and Kubasch ( 2017 ) reviewed all papers from four core career journals published between 2012 and 2016 and pointed out that such research seems yet to have gained real momentum and that it is necessary to examine the unique dimensions and antecedents of career success for specific groups in the labor market. Thus, exploring the components that account for career success and identifying antecedents for nurses, a large segment of the healthcare workforce, would contribute to expanding career literature.

Some studies on nurses' career success have claimed that it is helpful for professional behavior and improving clinical nursing quality (Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ; Zhang et al.,  2022 ). However, there is no standard view of what constitutes career success for nurses. Since career success is a multidimensional concept, previous quantitative studies have used varying variables to assess career success in the nursing context. For example, some studies assessed career success using a three‐factor structure that measured career satisfaction, perceived organizational competitiveness, and perceived external organizational competitiveness (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Li et al.,  2014 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ). One study measured only one aspect of career satisfaction (Allen,  2011 ), while another has evaluated career success using eight aspects: recognition, quality work, meaningful work, influence, authenticity, personal life, growth and development, and satisfaction (Sönmez et al.,  2021 ). Whereas a career success in nursing scale developed by Asghari et al. ( 2021 ) measures four‐dimensions: expected career development, providing quality care, effective self‐regulation, person‐organization fit. This is quite different from the general worker's career success scale. Meanwhile, qualitative study identifies that nurses' career success involves unique dimensions such as providing nursing care and general dimensions like nurses' personal life (Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ). To develop a holistic understanding of nurses' career success, it is necessary to integrate these findings. In doing so, we can gain insight into what shapes career success and how to achieve it for nurses.

Therefore, the first aim of this study was to review the literature and identify factors that make sense of nurses' career success. Our review contributes to the discussion around distinguishing the unique and general dimensions of nurses' career success, thereby addressing the challenge of providing a standard view of what constitutes it. The second aim of this review was to integrate findings on the influencing factors for the achievement of career success for nurses. Engaging in a review to identify these challenges would provide practical suggestions for achieving career success. We expand the literature by integrating the antecedents and attributes of career success and challenging how we theorize about the phenomenon of career success for nurses.

3. THE STUDY

3.1. design.

We conducted an integrative review to investigate the factors related to career success of nurses in previous studies. The review was conducted according to Whittemore and Knafl's methodology (Whittemore & Knafl,  2005 ).

3.2. Method

3.2.1. search strategy.

The search was conducted in May 2022. The four electronic databases used for the search strategy were PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL. Since the number of records identified from each database was 14 to 59, we assessed the lack of studies on career success conducted with nurses. Thus, this review did not limit the deadline for published articles to enable identification of all existing research in the field. This resulted in a hit for studies published between June 1986 and May 2022. The keywords were “nurs*” and “career success,” with search criteria including keywords in the title and abstract.

3.2.2. Inclusion and exclusion criteria

We checked the abstracts to identify if the hit literature met the following inclusion criteria: (1) peer‐reviewed research article, (2) full‐text articles published in English, (3) included registered nurses involved in direct care, (4) nursing scholars who have a master's or doctoral degree included since they may be directly involved in patient care, (5) measured career success, examined relationships between career success and other factors, and (6) mentioned what career success means for nurses, or what factors influence nurses' career success.

We excluded studies that (1) focused on nurses working in specific domains, such as infection control, psychiatric nursing, and emergency nursing, because we believe that the findings of these articles might include the possibility that a culture specific to a particular domain might affect career success. (2) involved nursing students, because they did not have a professional career; (3) included nurses as well as employees in other fields, because that implied career success as a general worker. We also excluded studies that (4) quantitative studies that do not describe the definition of career success, (5) used a career success scale that has poor reliability, or (6) with small participant sample that may have biased the results, because it may be considered to lack sufficient evidence.

3.2.3. Screening and selection

A total of 143 articles were identified. Seventy duplicates were excluded. Furthermore, we removed 30 papers that were not peer‐reviewed original articles, and one paper could not be obtained even when we contacted the library. Subsequently, the first author and co‐authors read 42 papers to determine whether the title, abstract, and content of the paper met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen papers that did not mention career success were excluded. Five papers that targeted nurses working in particular situations, such as psychiatric nurses and nurses in emergency departments, were excluded because they are unlikely to present findings generalizable to all nurses. Three papers that involved nurses as well as other occupations among the study participants were excluded because the findings of those papers did not directly provide insight into career success for nurses. One study involved nursing students who were excluded because they were in the preprofessional stage of their careers. Among the quantitative studies, five papers with unreliable scales for measuring career success and one with an inappropriate sample size were excluded. Thus, 14 quantitative and qualitative studies were included in this analysis. Figure  1 shows that the flowchart of this review, which is in line with the PRISMA 2020 statement (Page et al., 2021 ).

PRISMA flowchart.

3.2.4. Quality appraisal

To ensure the quality of the data for this review, the quality of the reviewed papers was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Tool for cross‐sectional studies and qualitative research. Each item on these checklists was rated on a 3‐point scale (2 = yes, 1 = unclear, 0 = no), and the total score was calculated. All the papers that scored at least 56% were included in the review. Table  1 shows the results of the cross‐sectional study and Table  2 shows the results of the critical appraisal for the qualitative study.

Critical appraisal for analytical cross‐sectional studies.

Abbreviations: N, no; U, unclear; Y, yes.

1. Were the criteria for inclusion in the sample clearly defined? 2. Were the study subjects and the setting described in detail?

3. Was the exposure measured in a valid and reliable way? 4. Were objective, standard criteria used for measurement of the condition?

5. Is there congruity between the research methodology and the interpretation of results?

6. Were strategies to deal with confounding factors stated? 7. Were the outcomes measured in a valid and reliable way?

8. Was appropriate statistical analysis used?

Critical appraisal for qualitative research.

1. Is there congruity between the stated philosophical perspective and the research methodology? 2. Is there congruity between the research methodology and the research question or objectives? 3. Is there congruity between the research methodology and the methods used to collect data? 4. Is there congruity between the research methodology and the representation and analysis of data? 5. Is there congruity between the research methodology and the interpretation of results? 6. Is there a statement locating the researcher culturally or theoretically? 7. Is the influence of the researcher on the research, and vice‐ versa, addressed? 8. Are participants, and their voices, adequately represented? 9. Is the research ethical according to current criteria or, for recent studies, and is there evidence of ethical approval by an appropriate body? 10. Do the conclusions drawn in the research report flow from the analysis, or interpretation, of the data?

3.2.5. Data extraction

We focused on what career success means and what influences it. The information outlined below was extracted as data from all 14 articles analyzed in this review: author, publication date, journal, purpose, subject, analysis, and results. We extracted the following five pieces of information from quantitative studies: definition of career success, factors of career‐success instruments, the reliability or validity of career‐success instruments (e.g., Cronbach's alpha), and factors influencing nursing career success. We extracted two pieces of information from two qualitative studies: themes that implied career success and factors influencing nursing career success. These primary data were matrixed for analysis (see Tables  3 and ​ and4 4 ).

Characteristics of the included quantitative studies.

*Indicates that values are statistically significant.

Characteristics of the included qualitative studies.

3.3. Analysis

Based on our aims, first, extracted primary data were categorized into two perspectives: (1) what career success means and (2) what influences success. Data on the factors consisting of career success scales and themes that implied career success were divided from data on factors influencing nursing career success. Second, categorized data were unified into similar contents and matrixed (see Tables  5 and ​ and6). 6 ). Third, themes were developed from unified subgroups. In these ways, factors that make sense career success as a nurse and influence it were integrated from the quantitative and qualitative findings. At this stage, rigor was ensured by the first author who has a master's degree, the corresponding author with a doctoral degree and two co‐authors who also have doctoral degrees independently checking the analysis and carefully naming the themes through multiple discussions.

Themes and elements that make sense of nurses' career success.

Themes and elements influencing nurses' career success.

4.1. Search results

Tables  3 and ​ and4 4 present the data extracted from the included studies. Most of the studies defined career success based on either career achievements, positive feelings related to work experiences, or both. Nine papers defined career success as work achievements or accomplishments (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Han et al.,  2022 ; Liu et al.,  2015 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ; Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ), and six defined it as positive psychological feelings (Allen,  2011 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Han et al.,  2022 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ). Three papers described these achievements and positive psychological feelings as outcomes of experiences at work (Asghari et al.,  2021 ; Li et al.,  2014 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ).

Eleven quantitative studies utilized career success scales that can be applied to any occupations (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ; Allen,  2011 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Han et al.,  2022 ; Li et al.,  2014 ; Liu et al.,  2015 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ). One quantitative study addressed the development of a career success scale for nurses (Asghari et al.,  2021 ). Among the two qualitative studies, one explored the meaning of career success for nurses (Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ); the other explored the factors that influenced nurses' career success (Sheikhi et al.,  2016 ).

Eight studies were conducted in China (Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Han et al.,  2022 ; Li et al.,  2014 ; Liu et al.,  2015 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ) and three in Iran (Asghari et al.,  2021 ; Sheikhi et al.,  2016 ; Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ). The remaining studies were conducted in Turkey (Sönmez et al.,  2021 ), Arabia (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ), and Australia (Allen,  2011 ).

Seven themes were identified by integrating the factors included in career success (see Table  5 ). We also identified three themes related to factors influencing nurses' career success were identified (see Table  6 ).

4.2. Findings

4.2.1. factors that make sense of career success as a nurse.

The following seven themes were extracted from the included literature to explain nurses' career success.

Satisfaction

Satisfaction or career satisfaction was measured as a subscale construct of career success in nine quantitative studies (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ; Allen,  2011 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Li et al.,  2014 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ). These studies focused on measuring individuals' satisfaction levels regarding their career achievements and progress toward career or skill development goals (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ; Allen,  2011 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Li et al.,  2014 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ). A qualitative study also demonstrated that achievement leads to nurses feeling internally satisfied (Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ).

Positive attitude towards work

The second theme was a positive attitude towards work. Meaningful work and effective self‐regulation were measured as subscale constructs of career success in two quantitative studies (Asghari et al.,  2021 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ). Meaningful work refers to work that an individual perceives as contributing to society (Shockley et al.,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ). People with effective self‐regulation achieve work–life balance despite demanding workloads and time pressures and are self‐aware and able to continuously monitor and manage the self and the environment to be more effective and respected in their work (Asghari et al.,  2021 ). Professional attributes and feelings of usefulness have been identified as themes or subthemes in qualitative nursing career success studies (Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ).

Quality work in nursing

Providing quality care, quality work, perceived organizational competitiveness, perceived external organizational competitiveness, and career competition were combined in the third theme: quality work in nursing (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ; Asghari et al.,  2021 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Li et al.,  2014 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ; Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ). Zamanzadeh et al. ( 2019 ) found that providing quality care was involved in nurses' perceptions of career success, and Asghari et al. ( 2021 ) developed a nursing career success scale involving this factor. Quality work, perceived organizational competitiveness, perceived external organizational competitiveness, and career competition were integrated into this theme and used as subscales of career success that could be adapted to any occupation in the other eight quantitative studies (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Li et al.,  2014 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ). We included these subscales in the theme “quality work in nursing” because, in the nursing work context, work is defined as providing care to patients through the practice of nursing.

Continuation of career and professional development

The fourth theme was continuation of career and professional development. A qualitative study conducted by Zamanzadeh et al. ( 2019 ) demonstrated that continuing professional development is an essential element of staying up to date. Three quantitative studies measured whether participants were addressing career development, and their main concerns were continuous learning and development (Asghari et al.,  2021 ;Han et al.,  2022 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ).

Positive interaction at work

All the factors included in the fifth theme originated from positive interactions with others at work. The following factors were included: influence, gaining recognition, international networks, and effective team members (Han et al.,  2022 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ; Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ). Sönmez et al. ( 2021 ) measured influence and recognition using the subjective career success inventory subscales developed by Shockley et al. ( 2016 ). Influence was defined as having an impact on others within the organization and on the organization itself; gaining recognition was defined as being formally or informally acknowledged for one's work by valued others (Shockley et al.,  2016 ). Han et al. ( 2022 ) also measured gaining recognition as a factor of career success. In addition, they measured international networks as a factor of career success. A qualitative study demonstrated the following factors as effective team members involved in career success: being able to collaborate with other staff and assist other nurses, becoming a role model for other staff, and being a colleague who can be trusted and relied upon (Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ).

Person–organization fit

Person–organization fit, the sharing of organizational values, and organizationally driven progression were integrated into the sixth theme (Asghari et al.,  2021 ; Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ). This theme consisted of factors drawn from two career success studies conducted with nurses. Zamanzadeh et al. ( 2019 ) demonstrated that exemplary nurses share organizational values, such as showing expected professional behavior at work when dealing with patients and other staff. Based on these findings, in the nursing scale developed by Asghari et al. ( 2021 ), career success included person–organization fit as a factor. It included roles such as supporting one's coworkers, being a team member, and working collaboratively toward meeting organizational goals and expectations (Asghari et al.,  2021 ).

Enrichment of an individual's life

Authenticity, personal life, freedom, happiness, and work–life balance were integrated into the seventh theme (Han et al.,  2022 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ). These elements focused on enriching an individual's life. The qualitative study conducted by Zamanzadeh et al. ( 2019 ) reported that nurses who achieved this were considered successful because they achieved work–life balance despite high job demands and work shifts. Authenticity, personal life, freedom, and happiness were measured as subscale constructs of career success in two quantitative studies (Han et al.,  2022 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ). Authenticity refers to shaping the direction of one's career according to personal needs and preferences (Shockley et al.,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ). Personal life entails having a career that positively impacts life outside of work (Shockley et al.,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ).

4.2.2. Factors influencing nursing career success

A total of 21 factors were categorized into three themes: personal resources, positive behavior for work and research, and job resources and environments.

Personal resources

Six quantitative studies examined influencing factors that can be considered personal resources, such as self‐efficacy, self‐esteem, and affective commitment (Allen,  2011 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Liu et al.,  2015 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ). Self‐efficacy was positively associated with career success and mediated the relationship between innovative behavior and career success (Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Wu et al.,  2022 ). Self‐esteem mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and career success (Liu et al.,  2015 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ). According to one quantitative study, affective commitment fully mediated the relationship between employment status and subjective career success (Allen,  2011 ). One qualitative study revealed that personal capacities, such as attachment of importance to work and commitment to professional values, are required for nurses' career advancement (Sheikhi et al.,  2016 ).

Positive behavior for nursing work and research

Four quantitative studies examined influencing factors that can be considered positive work behaviors, such as personal innovation behaviors and attending academic conferences (Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Wang et al.,  2019 ). Personal innovation behaviors were reported to be positively associated with career success (Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ). Attending academic conferences, acting as a peer reviewer, delivering theoretical lectures to students, and publishing papers in journals listed in the Scientific Citation Index as the first author were significant influencing factors of career success (Wang et al.,  2019 ).

Job resources and environments

Eight quantitative studies examined influencing factors that can be considered job resources and environments (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Liu et al.,  2015 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Sönmez et al.,  2021 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ). Work environment, such as nurse participation in hospital affairs, collegial nurse–physician relations, and staffing and resources adequacy, was positively correlated with career success (Sönmez et al.,  2021 ; Wang et al.,  2019 ). Job resources, such as social support, colleague solidarity of nurses, structural empowerment, and transformational leadership, were positively correlated with career success (Al‐Ghazali,  2020 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Liu et al.,  2015 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ).

5. DISCUSSION

The findings of this integrative review indicate seven themes that shape nurses' career success and three themes concerning antecedent requirements. In the following sections, we discuss how the findings of this review address our two aims. First, we mainly discuss the unique elements of career success in the nursing context and the factors that indicate career success in nursing. Second, we discuss the mechanism by which career success is enhanced through dynamics with antecedents, based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory that provides a valuable framework for explaining career success (Hobfoll et al.,  2018 ; Spurk et al.,  2019 ). Finally, we discuss the limitations and contributions of this review.

5.1. Elements that make sense of career success in nursing

The first aim was to identify the elements that indicate nurses' career success. To investigate what should be measured as career success in the nursing context, we reviewed career outcomes. Our review revealed seven themes that have shaped nurses' career success: satisfaction, positive attitude toward work, quality work in nursing, continuation of career and professional development, positive interaction at work, person–organization fit, and enrichment of an individual's life. Our findings are consistent with those of previous studies. In several previous studies on working adults worldwide, the definitions of career success have been identified as achievement, learning and development, work–life balance, positive relationships, positive impact, and satisfaction (Hupkens et al.,  2021 ; Mayrhofer et al.,  2016 ; Poon et al.,  2015 ; Shockley et al.,  2016 ). These overlapping elements of what it means to have career success are common career outcomes for the general worker.

The elements included in the theme of quality work in nursing were indicated as unique to nursing career success. Qualitative research conducted in the nursing context has shown that the most commonly reported elements of career success were the provision of quality care, reflected in patient‐centered care, and a high level of clinical competence and knowledge (Zamanzadeh et al.,  2019 ). However, only two studies included in the review qualitatively explored career success for nurses, which still seem to be too few. The remaining potential to conduct qualitative research has been similarly noted in a review of career success in occupational psychology (Heslin,  2005 ). Further research is needed to analyze nurses' perceptions of career success from their narratives to explore the unique elements of their career success.

Person–organization fit may be an element of career success that distinguishes nursing from other professions. Mayrhofer et al. ( 2016 ) analyzed the career success of participants in various occupations in dozens of countries around the world and identified entrepreneurship as a factor in their career success. Hupkens et al. ( 2021 ) indicated that autonomy, which is characterized by personal ownership of one's career, such as setting up new projects and enterprises, includes subjective career success perceptions. The results of our review revealed that, in contrast to the findings of studies conducted in the industrial psychology field, the element of person–organization fit does constitute career success for nurses. In many cases, nursing care is provided in collaboration with others in the healthcare teams. Building relationships with colleagues and organizations in the healthcare team is an essential element for nurses because it promotes interprofessional collaborative practice (Wei et al.,  2020 ). Thus, the ability to work while also building relationships with healthcare organizations is an important element of nurses' career outcomes.

5.2. Mechanism by which career success is enhanced through dynamics with antecedents

The second aim was to determine the factors that influenced nurses' career success. Our review revealed three themes that influenced nurses' career success: personal resources, positive behavior for nursing work and research, and job resources and environments.

The mechanisms that enhance nurses' career success can be explained by the concept of resource caravans, which was developed from the COR theory. The COR theory accounts for the tenet that individuals strive to obtain, retain, foster, and protect the things they centrally value (Hobfoll et al.,  2018 ), which provides a valuable framework for explaining the achievement of career success (Spurk et al.,  2019 ). Resources tend to evolve through the influence of both individuals and organizations, and such collaborations have been theorized as resource caravans (Hobfoll et al.,  2018 ). In other words, resources tend to be a consequence of nurturing and adaptive learning and may be interrelated (Hobfoll et al.,  2018 ). Research on career success in nursing has also shown that work and personal resources have influenced career success, which may prove that these resources are interrelated and enhance career success. Indeed, the quantitative studies included in this review reported that personal resources mediate the relationship between job resources and career success (Allen,  2011 ; Dan et al.,  2018a , 2018b ; Liu et al.,  2015 ; Liu & Liu,  2016 ; Wu et al.,  2022 ). It can thus be concluded that job and personal resources work together to enhance career success. Future research that investigates the mechanisms by which work and personal resources work together to enhance career success could establish novel findings.

5.3. Limitations

Our review yielded several insights; however, it also has several limitations. First, a few of the studies included in our review examined unique elements of nurses' career success, while the two qualitative studies we included examined the unique elements of nurses' career success. In other words, quality of work in nursing and person–organization fit were integrated from the findings of previous studies as unique aspects of nurses' career success; however, there may be other aspects of nurses' career success that are not yet fully understood. Second, all of the quantitative studies in our review had cross‐sectional study designs; however, cross‐sectional studies cannot ensure the rigor of the methods identifying causal factors influencing nurses' career success in our result. Third, we only considered studies published in English; therefore, any relevant studies of career success for nurses conducted in various other countries or languages were not included in our analysis. Despite these limitations, by integrating scientific findings on career success for nurses, we have developed a holistic understanding and gain insight into what shapes career success and how to achieve it for nurses.

5.4. Contribution to the literature and implications for practice

Our review makes two main contributions. First, we expand the literature by distinguishing the unique elements of nurses' career success from those that overlap with the general worker. It allows us to integrate our scientific findings with determining which outcomes are important in nursing careers. We can also specify a framework for measurement and evaluation. Further, we reveal that little qualitative research has been undertaken to investigate the unique aspects of nurses' career success, which continues to present challenges for future research. As career success is influenced by national culture (Briscoe et al.,  2021 ), identifying the perspective of nurses' career success worldwide would greatly extend the nursing career literature.

Second, we contribute to nurses' professional development by illustrating research trends in nursing career success. Nurses may maintain and improve their nursing careers by applying the insights of our review. Finally, our findings may also contribute to the organizational management practices of nursing managers. Successful management of job and human resources can enhance staff career success, enabling the provision of quality nursing care.

6. CONCLUSION

We reviewed studies on nurses' career success, integrating seven themes that shape nurses' career success and three antecedent requirements that influence it. However, career success among nurses has not yet been adequately explored. Future research is needed to analyze nurses' perceptions of career success from their narratives to examine unique elements. Investigating how job and personal resources work together to enhance career success could establish novel findings.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

MY, KA: Study design. MY: Data collection. MY, SS, NT: Data analysis. KA: Study supervision. MY: Manuscript writing. All authors have read and approved the submitted version of the manuscript.

FUNDING INFORMATION

The authors disclose receipt of the following financial support for the research and authorship of this article: This work was supported by JST, the establishment of university fellowships toward the creation of science technology innovation (grant number JPMJFS2102).

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

ETHICAL APPROVAL

The present study utilized published literature and took great care to handle copyrights. As only published articles were used in this review, it did not require approval from an ethics committee.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are grateful to all the scholars who have conducted research on nurses' career success.

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A world-class city filled with art and culture and an incredible campus that offers cutting edge resources–that’s what students receive at Penn Nursing. And that’s just the start. Penn Nursing and the wider university offer something for everyone, as well as a lifelong community.

Penn Nursing is globally known for educating dynamic nurses—because our School values evidence-based science and health equity. That’s where our expertise lies, whether in research, practice, community health, or beyond. Everything we do upholds a through-line of innovation, encouraging our exceptional students, alumni, and faculty share their knowledge and skills to reshape health care.

Penn Nursing students are bold and unafraid, ready to embrace any challenge that comes their way. Whether you are exploring a career in nursing or interested in advancing your nursing career, a Penn Nursing education will help you meet your goals and become an innovative leader, prepared to change the face of health and wellness.

Penn Nursing is the #1-ranked nursing school in the world. Its highly-ranked programs help develop highly-skilled leaders in health care who are prepared to work alongside communities to tackle issues of health equity and social justice to improve health and wellness for everyone.

Penn Nursing’s rigorous academic curricula are taught by world renowned experts, ensuring that students at every level receive an exceptional Ivy League education . From augmented reality classrooms and clinical simulations to coursework that includes experiential global travel to clinical placements in top notch facilities, a Penn Nursing education prepares our graduates to lead.

Patricia D’Antonio, PhD, Transitions from Standing Faculty

Patricia D’Antonio, PhD, RN, FAAN , the Carol E. Ware Professor in Mental Health Nursing, Professor of Nursing, and an internationally recognized historian of nursing and leader in nursing education, will transition from her faculty role on June 30th, 2024.

D’Antonio’s research demonstrates nurses’ strong influence on health, social mobility, diversity, and the development of cultural and health care norms. She has a record of accomplishment of consistent funding, including fellowships from the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the American Academy of Nursing. She is a Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and has co-authored seven books. Her most recent work, Nursing with a Message: Public Health Demonstration Projects in New York City, 1920-1940 , was featured by the Rockefeller Archive Center and awarded the Choice Outstanding Academic title. Her work argues that nurses were central in promoting the current norms of primary care within a health care system that reflected and refracted political, gendered, racialized norms, and it highlights how nurses supported economically and racially marginalized families’ equitable access to services available to white, middle-class families. In her earlier book, American Nursing: A History of Knowledge, Power, and the Meaning of Work , D’Antonio drew on firsthand accounts by White and African American men and women nurses to discover how strong gender and racial hierarchies reinforced how these groups historically viewed themselves and each other and underscored the importance of forging a strong nursing identity to bridge some of the historical divides within systems of care and education.

From 2015-2023, D’Antonio served as Director of Penn Nursing’s Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing . From 2010-2020, she served as Chair of the Department of Family and Community Health. She championed and supported the development of faculty in their academic, research, and service roles. D’Antonio has impacted faculty, staff, and students with her deep knowledge of nursing and commitment to excellence. In her teaching, she helps students focus on using history to analyze contemporary issues in health care practice, health policy, and public health.

D’Antonio has received many awards including the President’s Award from the American Association for the History of Nursing; the Nursing Outlook Excellence in Policy Award; the 2015 Dean’s Award for Exemplary Citizenship; the M. Adelaide Nutting Award from the American Association for the History of Nursing; four American Journal of Nursing ‘Book of the Year’ awards; and was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau’s International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame in 2018. She received her BS degree Boston College School of Nursing; her MSN from Catholic University of America; and her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

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