Influence of Generation Z's values on healthcare career choices: A scoping review

Background

Generation Z is entering healthcare education and the early career during a period of workforce strain and rapid digital transformation. Ethical values may shape how this cohort engages with training, work environments, and professional roles, yet ethical perspectives are often addressed indirectly in existing studies.

Methods

A scoping review following JBI guidance and PRISMA-ScR was conducted. MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses were searched, with no date limits and inclusion of English, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese sources. Screening and extraction followed a structured approach. Study characteristics were summarized descriptively, and ethics-related findings were synthesized using a thematic narrative approach.

Results

Twenty-eight were included, focused mainly on medicine and nursing area. The evidence base was heterogeneous and dominated by cross-sectional surveys, qualitative descriptive studies, and discursive papers, with few theory-driven designs and no consistent use of formal ethical frameworks. Ethical values were rarely the primary focus and more often appeared as embedded orientations within broader discussions. Recurring ethical themes encompassing education, career decisions, professional practice, and health-related behaviours included well-being and boundaries; meaningful work and purpose; empathy, teamwork, and supportive supervision; equity and fairness; autonomy and flexibility; and digital/technological ethics, including privacy, trust, diagnostic reliability, and human connection.

Conclusions

Ethics-related orientations among Generation Z in healthcare are consistently present but commonly implicit. Greater attention to value–context alignment in learning environments, leadership practices, and digital implementation may help inform strategies to support strengthen engagement and retention. Further research should strengthen conceptual clarity and broaden the contexts and professions studied.