Abstract: Objective To explore the decision-making experiences of clinical nurses resigning to pursue postgraduate studies, to provide reference and guidance for clinical nurses with similar aspirations. Methods Using field theory as theoretical framework, this study employed a phenomenological approach in qualitative research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 full-time nursing postgraduates from five nursing schools in Jiangsu Province who had resigned to pursue postgraduate studies. Data were collected and analyzed using Colaizzi’s content analysis. Results Three main themes and ten sub-themes were summarized including multiple decision-making motivations (personal pursuit: a strong aspiration to improve personal capabilities; workplace competition: coping with the competition in the workplace for academic qualification enhancement; policy-driven: complying with the policy guidance of national discipline construction), diverse decision-making difficulties (inadequate support from hospitals, personal concerns about the unknown consequences of decision-making, difficulty in balancing work/life and exam preparation, and negative consequences arising from unclear career planning), and differentiated decision-making support (financial support, social information support provided by learning institutions and the Internet, hospital incentive policies, and weak logistical support). Conclusion The decision of clinical nurses to resign and pursue postgraduate studies is driven by multiple factors. Before making the decision, they need to conduct self-reflection and make rational choices. At the same time, they should strive to obtain multi-faceted support to make decisions beneficial to their personal development.

Key words: Field Theory, nurse, resigning for postgraduate studies, decision-making, qualitative research