An exploration of the career histories of leading female nurses in England and Scotland

The thesis presents a survey which explored and described the career histories of thirty six leading female nurses in England and Scotland. An extensive review of the literature explored theoretical perspectives of vocational development and examined three factors which, it was felt, had a particular impact on female career development: sex-role socialization, schooling and experience of work in nursing. The study progressed through several stages. Preliminary interviews with four subjects were conducted to assess the relevance of certain factors gleaned from the literature review and to develop the postal questionnaire. The subjects to whom the questionnaire was sent were nominated to the study by their positional peers. The use of the reputational method to gain a study population limited the possibility of generalizing from the findings. Ninety two per cent of the 39 women nominated participated in the study. Interviews were held with 35 of the 36 respondents. The data were analyzed quantitatively, using descriptive statistics, and qualitatively. Personal and professional profiles were drawn. The early lives of the respondents, their family backgrounds and schooling experiences were described to assess the impact of early life experiences on career decisions. Primarily from middle-class families, three quarters of the respondents had attended single sex schools and had been academically able and very active. However, there had been few expectations of careers. Work history was analyzed in two periods. The first career decade was described and found to incorporate little career mobility for the majority. A 'Lateral Movement Syndrome' was delineated. Mentoring episodes helped the respondents to be creative in the second career phase and to be upwardly mobile. Factors having an' impact on their career development were described. A theoretical perspective on female nurses career development was proposed and explained in light of the findings. The study opened up numerous areas for further research and these were discussed