| The Canadian military nursing workforce has never been investigated before and no demographic data have ever been published. The objective of this study was to explore the factors influencing the career development of military nurses in the Canadian Forces (CF). The survey instrument Career Orientation of Nurses Questionnaire, previously developed by McLees (1988) and revised by the researcher to be more applicable to the military system, was used to collect data. It was distributed to the entire population of Nursing Officers of whom 30 participated in the pilot study and 330 received the final instrument. Two hundred and forty-three military nurses completed the questionnaire (73.6%).;The questionnaire consisted of two parts: Career History and Career Orientations Inventory. The first part of the questionnaire collected information about the education, professional/community activities, work history, and demographic information of the population. The second part was designed to identify the career orientations of military nurses.;Career history data revealed that of the five possible career patterns identified in the literature, the predominant career pattern of Nursing Officers was mobile advancing. Factor analysis identified eight career orientations characteristic of Nursing Officers: ambition for leadership, family commitment, autonomy, self-esteem, technical competence, variety/adventure, job security, and professional integrity. None of the eight career orientations identified were dominant.;The examination of career pattern, adult life cycle, and rank level showed differences across the rank groupings of these military nurses. Results suggest that only those military nurses with a mobile advancing career pattern would achieve a superior rank in the CF. In spite of a higher proportion of male Nursing Officers (16%) in the Canadian Forces compared to non-military nurses in general, gender differences in career development was not significant for any of the career orientation factors.;The main implication of the study is that there is now base line data on the Canadian military nursing workforce available as a starting point for future research and policy decision making. |
