Career maturity among Chinese undergraduate nursing students: associations with work values, career decision-making self-efficacy, and locus of control

BACKGROUND: Career maturity is a critical developmental outcome in health professional education, reflecting students’ readiness to make informed and realistic career decisions. Despite its importance, little is known about the career maturity of Chinese nursing undergraduates, particularly regarding the roles of work values, career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE), and locus of control. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study examined the associations among these factors. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to July 2023 in five Chinese medical universities. A total of 726 undergraduates completed validated instruments: the Career Maturity Scale, Work Values Scale, College Student CDMSE Scale, and Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, multiple linear regression, and structural equation modeling were used for analysis. RESULTS: Participants demonstrated a moderate level of career maturity (M = 3.18,SD = 0.38).Correlation analyses showed that career maturity was positively associated with work values, internal locus of control, and career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE), and negatively associated with chance.Structural equation modeling indicated that CDMSE showed the strongest positive association with career maturity, followed by work values and internal locus of control, whereas chance was negatively associated. The final model explained approximately 33% of the variance in career maturity. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese nursing undergraduates demonstrated moderate career maturity shaped by psychological resources and personal beliefs. Targeted interventions that enhance work values, strengthen decision-making self-efficacy, and promote internal control may support students’ career readiness and sustained professional engagement. While focused on nursing, these findings also offer insights for health professional education more broadly, with implications for designing educational strategies that foster workforce sustainability.