Who is stressed and who is driven? A latent profile analysis of career growth among early-career operating room nurses

Background Early-career operating room nurses work in highly technical, high-demand environments and are at elevated risk of stress, stalled development and turnover. Yet little is known about how their career growth patterns differ, or which resource configurations support more favorable trajectories. Guided by Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study aimed to (1) identify latent profiles of career growth among early-career operating room nurses and (2) examine how condition, personal, energy and proximal psychological resources differentiate these profiles. Methods We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional online survey between March and August 2025 among early-career operating room nurses working in tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China. Using multi-stage cluster sampling, 516 nurses from 102 hospitals provided valid responses. Career growth was assessed using the Career Growth of Nurses Scale, and resources were organized a priori into object, condition, personal, energy and proximal psychological resource categories. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct career growth profiles. Multinomial logistic regression examined associations between resource variables and profile membership, with statistical significance set at α = 0.05. Results A three-profile solution provided the best fit to the data. We identified a Constrained and uneven profile (C1, n = 66, 12.8%), a Stable and balanced profile (C2, n = 238, 46.1%) and a Consistent and advancing profile (C3, n = 212, 41.1%). Compared with C1, nurses with formal employment contracts, working in higher-tier hospitals, reporting higher monthly income, better self-rated health and stronger interest in the nursing profession were more likely to be classified into C2 and C3. Higher levels of thriving at work, organizational commitment and perceived organizational career management further distinguished nurses in the more favorable profiles. Object resources showed no independent associations after adjustment. Conclusions Early-career operating room nurses exhibit heterogeneous patterns of career growth that cluster into constrained, stable and advancing profiles. COR-informed resource portfolios, particularly stable employment and hospital context, adequate income, good health and interest in nursing, and strong proximal psychological resources, are associated with more adaptive profiles. Nurse managers can use these findings to design resource-focused strategies and targeted development programs to support sustainable career growth and retention among early-career operating room nurses.