Designing a Conceptual Framework for the Career Development of Clinical Nurses

Career development of nurses as a powerful arm and key component of the health system, is one of the most important managerial tasks that creates value added. However, despite its significance and influece, it is considered as one of the challenges of the Iranian health system.

This qualitative study was conducted with the aim of designing a conceptual framework for the clinical nurses' career development. In this study, qualitative and inductive content analysis were used for purposeful interpretation of 30 managerial and nursing experts' views. Data was collecyed by deep and semi-structured interviews.

Data analysis led to the extraction and definition of 243 general concepts, 8 subcategories, and 5 main categories.

The conceptual framework for the career development of clinical nurses was designed to increase nurses' job satisfaction and retention. This framework consists of nursing career, career planning and career management as the main infrastructure of career development. Finally, the implementation of this framework requires startegic policymaking and planning and forging multilateral cooperation