The relationship between work environment and career success among nurses with a master's or doctoral degree: A national cross‐sectional study.

Aims: To investigate the career success and work environment among nurses with a master's or doctoral degree and analyse the effect of work environment on their career success. Methods: This was a national descriptive, cross‐sectional study. A total of 1223 nurses with a master's or doctoral degree from 115 tertiary hospitals across mainland China participated in the study. Subscales of the practice environment scale of the nursing work index and career success scale were utilized for data collection via email in the summer of 2017. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the collected data. Results: The research showed that the career success and work environment ratings of nurses with a master's or doctoral degree were at a moderate level. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that work environment was positively correlated with career success for three of the four subscales. Conclusion: The career success and work environment is moderate among nurses with a master's or doctoral degree, and improving the work environment for nurses may lead to higher career success. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? Nurses, especially those with a master's or doctoral degree, play an indispensable role in health care system.Nursing shortage is a global problem that is even severer in China than that of developed countries.Although nursing work environment has been reported to have a significant bearing on nurses' job satisfaction, studies on the relationship between work environment and career success are still limited. What this paper adds? The career success and work environment ratings of nurses with a master's or doctoral degree were at a moderate level.Work environment including nurse participation in hospital affairs, collegial nurse‐physician relations, and staffing and resources adequacy were positively correlated with career success. The implications of this paper: for policy/practice/research/education The findings of this study contribute more evidence in support of relationship between work environment and career success among nurses with a master's or doctoral degree.This study provides practical suggestions for nurse managers or policymakers regarding how to create a motivated work environment and enhance nurses' career success, which can reduce nurses' turnover intention and ensure nursing stability and quality.This finding can be applied to medical institutions in other developing countries with similar cultural beliefs and educational background and may help relieve the pressure on nurses' recruitment and retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]