Table 2.

Analysis of attribution theme of career plateau.

Quotations	Meaning units	Subthemes	Theme
“I place overly high expectations on myself. I want to enjoy promotion, career development, and other benefits.” (Participant A)	High expectations	Individuals attribution	The attribution of career plateau lies in individuals and organizations
“One should try to find any chance to learn. But many things happened to my family and so I become quite demotivated; no incentive, no motivation (to learn).” (Participant F) “The personal reasons I have mentioned here mainly concern my family.” (Participant G)	Family disputes
“For physical reasons, I was feeling pressured because of frequent night shifts and increasing age. My schedule was disturbed. I feared I had no energy, no ability to develop my career.” (Participant C)	Personal physical reasons
“The organization (nursing department) offered me few chances for further studies, and there were few learning resources available. So, I could not see any sign of hope and had no drive to work; no goal to attain.” (Participant A)	Few learning resources available	Organizational attribution
“I earnestly hope that the organization can plan effective career progression for everyone and help such persons to achieve their goals. Naturally, this rests with the leadership to make plans.” (Participant D)	The absence of organizational career support
“The hospital and the department should provide adequate support for aspiring people. If some person is satisfied with the work, you won’t need to do anything. But if this person aspires a bit higher and wants to take on more responsibility, you should provide greater support.” (Participant G)	The absence of organizational support
“I didn’t feel cared for by the organization or recognized by the department head.” (Participant C)	The absence of organizational care