Student Nurses’ Experiences of Developing Professional Identity

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Introduction

Owing to the various aspects associated with professional identity formation, the nursing profession must comprehend how nursing students construct a professional identity and connect with universities and institutions that offer nursing education. Education has been deemed essential for nursing students to develop their professional identities. Creating a professional identity is inextricably linked to a socialisation process in which a person feels and recognises a sense of belonging. Exposure and awareness to academics and practising nurses must establish a blend of knowledge and real-world experiences while creating a professional identity.

Definition of Key Terms

Professional Identity – Professional identity refers to a person’s social, educational, and professional values; it is widely considered to define a professional and set one field apart from another (Maginnis, 2018).
Nursing Professional Identity – Nursing professional identity refers to the unique characteristics and qualities that define a nurse’s sense of being a member of the nursing profession. This identity is shaped by a combination of personal and professional experiences, values, beliefs, attitudes, and the knowledge and skills gained through nursing education and practice (Clements et al., 2016).

Outline

The paper will essential has five main parts. These will include the background to this issue of professional identity, followed by the search strategy for the paper. The next section of the paper will examine the appraisal of evidence sources. The potential implications for the research on this issue will then be assessed based on its relevance to nurses, with a conclusion providing a summary of the paper and future directions for nurses and their professional identity.

Background

Nursing and midwifery education delivery and quality assurance have been contentious in the United Kingdom. In the last 30 years, pre-licensure healthcare education has seen significant changes (O’Connor et al., 2021). Clinical placement and undergraduate students have been the topic of study, and the results underline the importance of providing undergraduates with real-world exposure and quality placements (Vabo et al., 2022). There is a link between the quantity, quality, and overall experience of these clinical rotations and the extent to which nursing students come to love and enjoy the job. Given the widespread problems in attracting and keeping nurses, it is crucial to understand what traits might increase the retention of competent professionals and students. Even though there is a clear association between work commitment, professional identity, and retention, there is a shortage of research on the views of first-year student nurses as they develop their professional identities. This research attempts to analyse the experiences that first-year nursing students through as they create their professional identities.

Search Strategy

The literature review question is: How does the first-year university experience impact the development of nursing students’ professional identity, core competencies, and clinical classroom perceptions? Relevant information was meticulously extracted from education, healthcare, psychology, and medical databases. These databases were PsycINFO, Embase, Medline, EBSCO, and ERIC. Just Google was employed as a search engine. These databases were selected due to their wealth of medical and health journal articles. Characteristics of the study included the English language and literature from 2017 to 2023. There were both single and multiple phrases used to search for articles. Consider as inclusion criterion time, keywords, language, availability, content, scientific fields, and accessibility. Among the search keywords utilised were nurses, nursing students, the nursing profession, professional identity, undergraduate nursing programmes, journey, professional socialisation, identity, and combinations of these categories.

Search Strategy

Appraisal of the Sources of Evidence

To illustrate the distinctions between the methodological methods, the included studies were evaluated using the research critic framework. Three articles were deemed to be of excellent quality, while twelve were considered to be of medium quality.

	Gizelle Green (2020)	Liz Thomas, Elisabeth Hovdhaugen, and Rachel Sweetman (2023)	Joanne L. Green (2018)
Is there a clear link between the title, abstract, and content?	Yes. Comparing nursing students’ professional values is seen in the title, abstract, and content.	Yes. The study revolves around student and professional identity, identified in the title, abstract, and body content.	Yes. This practitioner-based action research examines a pilot programme that combines a peer-aided study system (PASS) with one-on-one mentoring for first-year nursing students.
Are the authors credible?	Yes. Gizelle Green, Ph.D., RN, has worked as a nurse, graduate counsellor, and lecturer for over 16 years. Green studied simulations, nursing education, pedagogical frameworks, and learning technology.	Yes. Liz Thomas is a higher education lecturer at Edge Hill University in Lancashire. Elisabeth Hovdhaugen is NIFU Oslo’s senior researcher.	Yes. Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Education Liaison Lead. Former senior lecturer in learning disability nursing at the University of Cumbria in Lancaster, UK.
Is the rationale for undertaking the research clearly outlined?	Yes. Identifying professional ideals in nursing school is crucial. Further research is needed to explore educational strategies that foster strong ethical principles and personal nursing values throughout a student’s career. It’s important to examine the connection between nursing characteristics (e.g., gender and age) and professional values.	Yes. Nursing programs lack support for professional identity and commitment, hindering student success. To improve retention, the study explores differences between career-focused and traditional students.	Yes. This research was prompted by learning disability nursing program dropouts. Before the investigation, a large number of learning disability course students tried to move to a different nursing specialism in their first year. Dissatisfaction with learning difficulties instead of nursing.
Is the aim of the research clearly stated?	Yes. Study examines if students’ professional ideals change with diverse education and nursing students’ sociodemographic traits and professional ideals.	Yes. It analyses students’ self-image, academic dedication, professional identity, and graduation rate.	Yes. Tested peer support system to determine impact on professional pride and identity among first-year BSc Learning Difficulties Nursing students.
What is the methodology used, and is a rationale for this provided?	Study uses comparative design methodology, without specified rationale over other designs.	Methodology is qualitative interviews and empirical evidence, without specified rationale over other methods.	Methodology included action research, without specified rationale over other forms.
Select the appropriate questions for the methodology adopted. (Qualitative or Quantitative) Qualitative: Is the selection of participants (sampling method) identified? Is it clear how data were collected? Is an in-depth description of the data analysis process described? Can the findings be transferred to other populations or settings? Or Quantitative Is the selection of participants (sampling method ) identified? Is it clear how data were collected? Is an in-depth description of the data analysis process described? Can the findings be generalized to other populations or settings?	(a). Yes. The sample consisted of 261 randomly students, categorized based on their current academic standing into three groups. (b). Yes. The data was collected through questionnaires. (c). No. The article mentions only the methods used rather than the in-depth process. They used Scheffe post hoc analysis, SPSS 21.0, t-test, ANOVA, descriptive statistic, and Cronbach’s α. (d). Yes. These results support prior study on the professional value of caring among nursing students, instructors, and nurses. The caregiver’s practical training affects it. Experiential learning and clinical training are essential for nursing graduates because they improve professional values.	(a). Yes. The study comprised 70 one-to-one interviews with students. The paper also uses 50 discussions from midwifery and nursing undergraduates. (b) Yes. Most of the students questioned were identified by word of mouth following a lecture, although interviewers did exhibit “diversity traits,” such as being from a historically underrepresented group. Most interviewees were in their second year, although several were in their third. Emails recruited UK students, and face-to-face interviews collected data. (c). Yes. The authors have described most of the popular response and their implications. (d). Yes. The finding can be transferred to other settings.	(a). Yes. All study participants were first-year learning disability nursing students. 26 pupils of various ages, races, and life experiences were studied. (b). Yes. The study utilized the school database with a combination of questionnaires to students to identify trends in student nurse learning activities. (c). No. But the results were extensively analysed. (d) Yes. The result is transferable. The study is focused on UK Learning Disability Nursing, however the findings are applicable to other nursing education fields. Retaining nursing students is a global concern.
Is the conclusion supported by the findings?	Yes. The research found that the more advanced group had higher professional values. The author finds that fundamental education helps students understand professional standards better.	Yes. It establishes that nursing students have a unique academic experience due to high instruction, off-campus locations, limited social engagement, and peer interaction. Although commitment is crucial for student retention, the nursing profession displays diverse commitment levels among its members, impacting their identity and degree experiences. While nursing students prioritize their future careers, their current academic responsibilities are often overlooked, resulting in neglect of academic obligations.	Yes. The research informs the conclusion. Professional identity requires knowledge, self-confidence, and community. It observed that first-year nursing students at one UK institution might benefit greatly from having their classmates assist them create a professional identity.

Potential Implications

The research study provides valuable insight for beginning students. It is essential to emphasize advanced learning techniques, including group discussions, clinical simulation, case studies, and professional ideals like professionalism and activism. A person’s work life is a continuous learning experience in which they acquire new values. In contrast, students might undergo a significant socialization process crucial to developing nursing professional values throughout school. The formative years of a nurse’s education are vital to developing professional ideals.

Conclusion

The paper has examined professional identity as a piece of a person’s more significant identity. Similarly, the study has identified a lack of reflection on the perspectives of first-year student nurses as they create their professional identities. However, a strong correlation exists between job dedication, professional identity, and retention. The study therefore aimed at analysing the experiences that nursing students go through in developing their professional identity as freshmen. A nursing professional identity develops as a result of a student’s active participation in social situations with nursing professionals and the student’s subsequent application of the profession’s culture, values, knowledge, and skills.

Reference List

Green, G. (2020) ‘Examining professional values among nursing students during education: A comparative study’, Nursing Forum, 55(4), pp. 589–594. Web.

Green, J.L. (2018) ‘Peer support systems and professional identity of student nurses undertaking a UK learning disability nursing programme’, Nurse Education in Practice, 30, pp. 56–61. Web.

Maginnis, C. (2018) ‘A discussion of professional identity development in nursing students’, Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 6(1), pp. 91–97. Web.

O’Connor, S. et al. (2021) ‘Co-production in Nursing and Midwifery Education: A systematic review of the literature’, Nurse Education Today, 102, p. 104900. Web.

Thomas, L., Hovdhaugen, E. and Sweetman, R. (2023) ‘Professional or student identity and commitment? Comparing the experiences of nursing students with literature on Student Success’, Tertiary Education, and Management [Preprint]. Web.

Vabo, G., Slettebø, Å. and Fossum, M. (2021) ‘Nursing students’ professional identity development: An integrative review’, Nordic Journal of Nursing Research, 42(2), pp. 62–75. Web.