Purpose: A career refers to all the work-related activities and experiences that occur throughout anindividual's life. As healthcare technology advances, jobs become more diverse, making nursing students'careers increasingly important. However, little is known about the career decision-making processof nursing students. To address this, we investigated how nursing students decide about theircareers. This study aimed to conduct a path analysis of career decisions among nursing students basedon the social cognitive model of career self-management. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. It recruited junior and senior nursing studentsfrom 18 universities in a metropolitan area of South Korea. In total, 439 nursing students participated inthe study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire between May 15 and June 5, 2023. Thedata were analyzed using descriptive statistics and path analysis. Results: The hypothesized model showed acceptable model fit indices. The path analysis showed thatcareer decision-making self-efficacy (β = 0.52, p < .001), career outcome expectation (β = 0.11, p = .041),and nursing competence (β = 0.11, p = .046) directly impacted career decisions. Furthermore, nursingcompetence (β = 0.29, p < .001), satisfaction with the nursing major (β = 0.13, p < .001), and the learningenvironment (β = 0.12, p < .001) indirectly influenced career decisions through the mediation of careerdecision-making self-efficacy and career outcome expectation. Conclusion: Career decision-making self-efficacy and nursing competence are crucial factors in nursingstudents' career decisions. The proposed model provides a foundation for developing strategies toenhance nursing students’ career decision-making. Nursing educators and institutions can use thismodel to design and implement a tailored career education curriculum that empowers nursing studentsto manage and advance their careers effectively.