Using Holland's theoretical framework, this study examines whether the constructs of congruence, consistently, and differentiation are useful in predicting certainty of career choice, career satisfaction and academic achievement among young adult women embarking on new careers in nursing. In addition, the study provides data through which comparisons are made between senior nursing students seeking their first baccalaureate degree and college graduate senior nursing students seeking their second baccalaureate degree.

Subjects, consisting of 124 senior nursing students, including 76 college graduates enrolled at four universities, complete the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory II and a questionnaire. Chi-square analysis was used in statistical tests for differences between the basic and college graduate seniors on demographic variables and vocational interest profiles and within the college graduate group to determine whether there were any significant differences on measures of career satisfaction, certainty of career choice, or academic achievement, as predicted by Holland's theory, among students whose vocational interest profiles were congruent, consistent, or differentiated versus those whose profiles were not congruent, consistent or differentiated.

Results of the study revealed that basic seniors and college graduate seniors were different in age, marital status and current religious affiliation, but not in parental and familial variables. A majority of basic seniors reported an early, sustained choice of nursing as a career. For college graduate seniors, nursing was a recent career choice, reflecting dissatisfaction with earlier occupation.

College graduate seniors had significantly higher general occupational theme scores on the artistic and investigative scales. The college graduate profile was artistic, investigative, and social (AIS), while the basic seniors profile was social, artistic, and investigative (SAI). Neither profile conforms with Holland's predicted profile of SIA. The college graduate seniors were more academically oriented and had more interest in mechanical, science, art, writing, music and drama than basic seniors.

The tests of Holland's constructs of congruence, consistency, and differentiation as predictors of career satisfaction, career certainty, and achievement, did not support the theory as proposed in the theoretical framework. Contrary to Holland's theory, college graduates whose profiles were not congruent with profiles typical of nurses had significantly higher cumulative grade point averages.