Based on Goal Setting Theory,the present study investigates the relationship between career goal setting of nurses,and their career plateauing and content plateauing. Career plateauing indicates that the likelihood of promotion is very low. Content plateauing shows that workers’ jobs lack new challenges and what should be learnt. The conclusions drawn from this study are based on a sample of 1903 nurses. After using multiple regression analysis,main results are followings ; (a) Setting career goals lowers the degree of both career plateauing and content plateauing. (b) Setting more advanced goals (ex. Certified Nurse Administrator (CNA)) lowered the degree of career plateauing. (c) Showing high commitment to career goals lowers the degree of career plateauing,but has no effect on content plateauing. (d) Setting schedules for attaining career goals or the length of schedules doesn’t lessen the degree of career plateauing or content plateauing. As a whole,it suggests that career goal setting of nurses influence,to some degree,the degree of their career plateauing rather than content plateauing. The meaning of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.