Exploring Female Nurses’ Career Sustainability: The Role of SelfEfficacy in Career Competency Development and Teamwork

Abstract

Qualified medical professionals are increasingly migrating to other emerging countries in search of better job prospects, contributing to the challenges faced by healthcare systems. Stakeholders have expressed concern about the detrimental effects of this “brain drain” on healthcare service delivery. Studies highlight several factors that hinder female nurses from maintaining long-term careers, including role conflict, limited family support, and various interpersonal, contextual, and institutional influences.

Key determinants of career longevity include effective teamwork, confidence in performing tasks, and strong professional competencies. This study aims to identify the most critical factors influencing female nurses’ long-term commitment to the profession and to examine how these factors relate to one another. Guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory, the research employed a quantitative approach involving 292 female nurses at a university in southern Nigeria. Data collected through a structured questionnaire were analyzed using structural equation modeling with IBM SPSS 28 and SmartPLS.

The findings indicate that participation in continuing education programs enhances female nurses’ career success. Surprisingly, the results also suggest that collaboration negatively impacts long-term career prospects. Mediation analysis further reveals that self-efficacy mediates the relationships among collaboration, competency development, and career sustainability. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of initiatives that strengthen self-efficacy and professional growth to support more stable and enduring careers for female nurses.