title: Skills Required for Nursing Career Advancement: A Qualitative Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nurses require certain skills for progression in their field. Identifying these skills can provide the context for nursing career advancement.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to identify the skills needed for nurses' career advancement.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative approach using content analysis was adopted to study a purposive sample of eighteen nurses working in teaching hospitals affiliated with the Qazvin, Shahid Beheshti, and Iran Universities of Medical Sciences. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using conventional content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The three themes extracted from the data included interpersonal capabilities, competency for career success, and personal capacities. The results showed that acquiring a variety of skills is essential for career advancement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings showed that personal, interpersonal, and functional skills can facilitate nurses' career advancement. The effects of these skills on career advancement depend on a variety of conditions that require further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sheikhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fallahi-Khoshnab
authors.affiliation: Social Determinant of Health Research Center and Department of Nursing, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Farahnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Center for Nursing Care Research and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oskouie
keywords: Career Mobility; Nursing; Qualitative Research