Research on Calling and Vocation
We’re a team of researchers from Claremont McKenna College, George Washington University, and George Mason University exploring how a nurse’s sense of calling changes over time. Nurses often enter the field with a strong sense of purpose — but how does that sense of vocation shift in the face of real-world experiences, challenges, and career growth?
If you're a BSN student in your final semester or have recently graduated (within 3 months), we’d love to hear from you. Your participation can help us better understand how nurses develop a sense of calling and ultimately help us develop tools to support and encourage future nursing students and professionals on their career journeys.
Click here to begin participating, or see below to learn more about the study.
What’s Involved?
This is a longitudinal study over the next three years. Twice a year, you’ll complete:
A 15-minute recorded Zoom interview about your sense of calling and reflect on how it has changed over time
A 15-minute online survey about your background, work experience, and current thoughts on vocation
We’ll reach out via email twice a year (around April and October of each year) to invite you to participate in the Zoom interview and online survey.
Why Participate?
You’ll help build a meaningful picture of how purpose and profession intertwine — and how nurses can thrive in the calling that drew them to this work. Your story could help reshape how we train, support, and retain new nurses.
🌟🌟 Every time you participate, you'll be entered in a raffle for one of three (3) $100 gift cards. 🌟🌟
Questions?
Contact us at info@statslabatcmc.com!
About Us
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Steven Zhou, PhD
I am an incoming Assistant Professor of Psychology at Claremont McKenna College, where I study leadership, psychometrics and multivariate statistics, and career development. I completed my PhD in organizational psychology at George Mason University and previously worked in human resources recruiting and data analytics. I’m excited to be working with a fantastic team of researchers to study this important topic!
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Lauren Muñoz, PhD, RN, FNP-BC
I am a research scientist at George Washington University’s Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity and the Health Equity Scholar for the Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity. I formerly worked as a hospital nurse and outpatient nurse practitioner for 8 years, then I completed my PhD in Nursing from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Now, as a researcher, I study nurses' career and educational decision-making.
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Lauren Kuykendall, PhD
I'm an Associate Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at George Mason University. I research topics related to employee well-being and teach courses on Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Social Psychology, and Career Development. I'm interested in what work means to people and how meaning-making evolves over time.