RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The professional competence of nursing personnel is integral to the efficacy of nursing procedures. Educational endeavors, especially those encompassing professional training programs, are critical in fostering a professional identity among nurses. The role of nurses within a multi-disciplinary nutrition team has the potential to enhance professional identity and improve the quality of care provided. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the potential impact of knowledge acquisition and practical nutrition education on the development of professional identity among nursing school students. Furthermore, we hypothesize that professional autonomy and self-epistemic authority mediated the relationship between a sense of meaning, professional mission, and professional identity. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey compared nursing students who had completed a practical nutrition course with those who had not. The study measured professional identity, professional autonomy, self-epistemic authority, and sense of meaning. Data collection was conducted using validated questionnaires, with questions tailored to suit the study demographic. Mediation analysis was conducted on the combined sample of both groups. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 98 nursing students, divided into a study group (57 students who completed a nutrition course) and a control group (41 students who did not complete the course). RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the groups in measures of professional identity (t = 3.42, p < .001), professional autonomy (t = 2.93, p < .005), and self-epistemic authority (t = 2.78, p < .007). There was no significant difference in the sense of meaning (t = 1.45, p = .150). Mediation analysis on the combined sample revealed that self-epistemic authority mediated the relationship between professional meaning and professional identity, while professional autonomy did not. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that practical nutrition education enhances nursing students' professional identity, autonomy, and self-epistemic authority. Future studies should include larger and more diverse samples to further explore these relationships.