The impact of positive psychological capital, problem solving ability and clinical competence on career adaptability in nursing students

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting career adaptability in nursing students, focusing on positive psychological capital, problem-solving ability, and clinical competence. The study participants were fourth-year nursing students from one university in Chungbuk and one university in Gyeongbuk, with 151 questionnaires analyzed. The results indicated that positive psychological capital (β=.87, p<.001) was the significant factor affecting career adaptability (F=197.050, p<.001), explaining 78.6% of the variance. Based on these findings, it is recommended to use this study as foundational data for developing nursing education programs to enhance career adaptability in nursing students.