Medical nurses are an essential part of health care and healthcare service delivery. Their career development is instrumental for the functioning of the health system and the maintenance of its staff potential.
The aim of this study was to identify and analyze issues and aspects of the career development of nurses in Bulgaria. The scientific literature on nurse career development was reviewed, data from the National Statistics Institute and National Center of Public Health and Analyses registers on the number of nurses were processed and analyzed. A sociological anonymous questionnaire survey on career development attitudes and experiences was conducted among 208 working nurses and 56 students of nursing and the collected empirical data were analyzed.
Analyses of the survey data among working nurses suggest that the nursing workforce has a strong upward tilt in age structure. There is a lack of awareness about training and career development among working nurses, while this problem is unexpressed among students. Another problem is the lack of a sufficient training and specialization opportunities in healthcare organizations. More than 80% of working nurses indicate that they are not satisfied with the remuneration of their work. A large percentage from both groups of respondents report that they want to develop their career in Bulgaria.
Improving working conditions by increasing pay, including necessary training and specializations, as well as providing sufficient and accessible information on career development opportunities, can increase the motivation of workers to develop professionally and the nursing profession can regain its prestige in society.
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