title: Nurse Leaders' Experiences of Implementing Career Advancement Programs for Nurses in Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Career advancement programs are currently implemented in many countries. In Iran, the first career advancement program was Nurses' Career Advancement Pathway. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse leaders' experiences about implementing the Nurses' Career Advancement Pathway program in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2013. Sixteen nurse managers were recruited from the teaching hospitals affiliated to Shahid Behesthi, Qazvin, and Iran Universities of Medical Sciences in Iran. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method. Study data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The conventional content analysis approach was used for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  participants' experiences about implementing the Nurses' Career Advancement Pathway fell into three main categories including: a) the shortcomings of performance evaluation, b) greater emphasis on point accumulation, c) the advancement-latitude mismatch.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Nurses' Career Advancement pathway has several shortcomings regarding both its content and its implementation. Therefore, it is recommended to revise the program.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sheikhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, (USWR) Tehran, Iran. msflir@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fallahi Khoshknab
authors.forename: Farahnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oskouie
mesh_terms: D002322:Career Mobility; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000523:psychology; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013192:Staff Development / Q000458:organization & administration*