Introduction: The current shortage in the global nursing workforce underscores the importance of understanding factors associated with career choice and professional retention. This study aimed to identify background profiles among Hungarian Bachelor of Science in Nursing students and to examine their associations with career-choice patterns and perceptions of the Graduate Nursing Residency Program (GNRP). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 1 September 2025 and 1 March 2026 at seven Hungarian higher education institutions. Of 979 questionnaires screened, eight were excluded because of incomplete cluster-analysis data, resulting in an analytical sample of 971 students. Student background profiles were explored using TwoStep cluster analysis. The four-cluster solution was retained on the basis of model-fit change, cluster-size balance, parsimony, and substantive interpretability; the average silhouette value was 0.20, indicating weak separation. Results: Four exploratory profiles were identified: students from families with a university degree (17.3%), students with a rural healthcare orientation (37.3%), urban middle-class students (24.2%), and students with an urban mobility background (21.2%). The timing of career choice differed across profiles (p < 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.179). Awareness of the GNRP was limited, with 69.7% reporting no prior knowledge. Perceived contribution to professional development differed statistically across profiles (p = 0.033; partial η² = 0.009), but the effect was small. Conclusions: The findings describe exploratory background profiles and modest associations rather than stable student categories or causal effects. Limited awareness and generally favorable perceptions of the GNRP suggest potential relevance for future communication and evaluation, but the present study does not establish program effectiveness.

Introduction: The current shortage in the global nursing workforce underscores the importance of understanding those factors that influence career choice and professional retention. This study aims to identify the background profiles of Hungarian BSc nursing students based on their social and sociocultural characteristics and to examine their relationship with career choice patterns and perceptions of the Graduate Nursing Residency Program (GNRP). Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted among BSc nursing students at seven Hungarian higher education institutions using an anonymous online questionnaire. The final sample included 971 participants. Student background profiles were identified using TwoStep cluster analysis. Results: Four distinct profiles emerged: students from families with a university degree (17.3%), students with healthcare orientation living in rural areas (37.3%), urban middle-class students (24.2%), and students with an urban mobility background (21.2%). The timing of career choice differed significantly across profiles (p<0.001): 44.2% of students with healthcare orientation residing in rural areas decided on a nursing career during elementary school or earlier. Awareness of the GNRP was limited: 69.7% of the respondents had not previously heard of it. Perceptions of the program’s contribution to professional development varied significantly between profiles (p=0.033), although overall attitudes towards the program were positive. Conclusions: Hungarian BSc nursing students represent a socially heterogeneous population with distinct career choice trajectories. The limited awareness of the GNRP suggests a need for more effective dissemination strategies, while generally positive perceptions indicate the Program’s potential to support workforce retention and early career development.