Male student nurses need more support: Understanding the determinants and consequences of career adaptability in nursing college students. (August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ma, Yin; Chen, Shih-Chih; Zeng, Hui
• Is Part Of: Nurse education today. Volume 91(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-08
• Subjects: Academic satisfaction -- Career adaptability -- Proactive personality -- Core self-evaluation -- Informational support; Nursing -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Education, Nursing -- Periodicals; Soins infirmiers -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; Nursing -- Study and teaching; Periodicals; 610.7307
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104435
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0260-6917

Abstract

Abstract: Background: To better understand nursing students' high attrition rates, especially for male student nurses, it is important to understand their academic satisfaction and compare it based on gender. Objectives: To examine the relationships between proactive personality, core self- evaluations, types of support (emotional/instrumental/informational support), career adaptability, and academic satisfaction in nursing college students using the career construction theory. Design: This study uses a cross-sectional design. Participants and methods: 1062 students recruited from one health vocational college in northwest China completed questionnaires measuring proactive personality, core self-evaluations, emotional/instrumental/informational support, career adaptability, and academic satisfaction. Data was analyzed by structural equation modeling, and mediation and moderation analyses were performed. Results: Proactive personality (Beta = 0.24, p < 0.001), core self-evaluations (Beta = 0.31, p < 0.001) and informational support (Beta = 0.21, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with career adaptability, and career adaptability was positively (Beta = 0.43, p < 0.001) associated with academic satisfaction. Career adaptability mediates the relationships between proactive personality, core self-evaluations, informational support and academic satisfaction. For male student nurses, emotional support (Beta = 0.31, p < 0.01) has a positive association with career adaptability. Conclusions: In nursing students, personal features (e.g., proactive personality, core self-evaluations) and supporting materials (e.g., informational support) have a positive association with career adaptability, and career adaptability has a mediating role in the relationships. Male student nurses need extra emotional support to promote their academic satisfaction. Targeted interventions may improve nursing college students' academic satisfaction.