The relationship between professional identity and professional self-concept among nurses / 中国实用护理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To describe the status of nurses′professional identity and the self-concept and to explore the relationship between nurses′professional identity and the self-concept. This will be the base for intervening nurses′professional identity. Methods A convenience sample of 250 nurses from one major hospital in Beijing was recruited. The Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale and the Professional Self-Concept Instrument were introduced. A standard translation procedure was carried out. Results A total of 250 questionnaires were sent out, 241 questionnaires were withdrawed with an effective rate of 96.4%. The mean score of nurses′professional identity was 42.54±8.70, which was at moderate level. The mean score of nurses′professional self-concept was 86.28 ±22.86, also at moderate level, among which,knowledgescores highest (25.91±6.00), leadership scored 20.84±8.02, inter-personal relationship scored (20.28±4.18), caring scored the lowest (19.25±4.67). There was significant difference among the professional identity in the different departments (P<0.05) , while the same results were not seen in professional self-concept. Nurses′professional identity was positively correlated with professional self-concept′s four dimensions (P<0.05). Conclusions The nurse managers should pay attention to the cultivation of professional self-concept in the training of nurses in order to improve the professional identity of nurses and the whole nurses′development.