Moses's Code.

In this narrative essay, a happenstance encounter with a journal article rekindles the author's intense memories of a cardiac resuscitation 25 years earlier during internship. Recollections of observations, emotions, and professional interactions around this event prompt reflection about the painful experiences from training that remain seared into memory and the value of  these formative moments across a professional lifetime.

Medical students' initial experiences of the dissection room and interaction with body donors: A qualitative study of professional identity formation, educational benefits, and the experience of Pasifika students.

The first experience of medical students in the dissecting room (DR) likely influences professional identity formation (PIF). Sparse data exist exploring how exposure to the DR and body donors without undertaking dissection influences PIF, or how culture may influence this experience. This qualitative study explored students' first, non-dissection DR experience to determine how this contributes to PIF, including the impact of culture through a Pasifika-student lens. It also explored student perspectives on what learning opportunities are unique to this experience. Medical students with no prior DR experience were recruited and then interviewed after initial engagement with the DR and body donors. Questions included participant experiences, cultural perspectives, and how the DR differed from other teaching experiences. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Twenty students were interviewed (mean age 22 years, 12 females; 8 Pasifika) resulting in 520 min of audio recording (mean 26 min). Four primary themes were identified: professional identity formation, educational elements, death and spirituality, and cultural perspectives. Three subthemes including student experiences, behaviors, and environment were developed within each theme. Findings indicate development of PIF likely occurs from a single engagement with body donors without undertaking dissection, including recognition of professional role. Culture can play an important role for students, with several Pasifika students viewing the DR as a "cultural purgatory". Unique learning experiences are identified, such as cultural awareness around behaviors with the dead. The experience is an educational "threshold concept" where students likely undergo substantial developments in PIF, and educational initiatives to support students are outlined.

Impact of professional identity on learner well-being of undergraduate nursing students of "double tops" universities: Mediating effect of self-regulated learning.

OBJECTIVES: The pressure of internal competition at the college level has increased in recent years in China with an impact on nursing students' learning and well-being. This study aimed to investigate the current situation and factors affecting professional identity, learner well-being and self-regulated learning of undergraduate nursing students in the Neijuan ecology of the "double tops" universities, and to explore the relationships between these three variables. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was adopted to conduct an online survey of 322 Chinese undergraduate nursing students from seven "double tops" universities. The survey included socio-demographics characteristics, students' professional identity, learner well-being, and self-regulated learning. RESULTS: Results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that professional identity was significantly and positively correlated with learner well-being (R = 0.795, p < 0.001); professional identity was significantly and positively correlated with self-regulated learning (R = 0.843, p < 0.001); and, self-regulated learning was significantly and positively correlated with learner well-being (R = 0.852, p < 0.001). After mediation effect testing, self-regulated learning had a mediating effect between professional identity and learner well-being (95 % CI 0.366-0.548, p < 0.001). Professional identity had a positive predictive effect on self-regulated learning (a = 0.570, p < 0.001), and self-regulated learning also had a positive predictive effect on learner well-being (b = 0.798, p < 0.001). The direct effect of professional identity on learner well-being (0.225) and its mediating effect (0.455) account for 33.1 % and 66.9 % of the total effect (0.680), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The learner well-being of undergraduate Chinese nursing students is in the middle to upper range, and it is crucial to enhance professional identity and develop students' self-regulated learning to improve their learner well-being. This study provides empirical evidence to support the mediating effect of self-regulated learning on the relationship between professional identity and learner well-being among undergraduate nursing students in "double tops" universities. Universities are expected to strengthen career planning guidance and professional competence training for students as early as possible in order to develop quality nursing education programs that produce graduates who enter and remain in the workforce.

Professional identity and its associated psychosocial factors among physicians from standardized residency training programs in China: a national cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Shortage and high turnover intention rate of physicians are concerning problems in China. Professional identity has been shown as an influential factor for physicians' turnover intention. Enhancing physicians' professional identity in their early phase of career, standardized residency training program (SRTP), may help reduce the turnover rate. This study aimed to investigate the current status of professional identity and explore its associated psychosocial factors among Chinese SRTP trainees, hoping to provide evidence in strengthening the available medical human resources in China. Methods: The final sample was comprised of 2,267 Chinese SRTP trainees in this cross-sectional survey conducted from 9 March to 20 March in 2023. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Bivariate analyses and hierarchical multiple linear regression were used to analyze potential associated factors of Chinese SRTP trainees' professional identity. Results: The average score of respondents' professional identity was 47.68 (standard deviation, SD = 8.61). Results from hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis showed that being married (ß = 0.066, p < 0.01), having work experience before SRTP (ß = 0.036, p < 0.05), being satisfied with annual income (ß = 0.062, p < 0.01), psychological distress (ß = -0.144, p < 0.001), depersonalization (ß = -0.053, p < 0.05), emotional exhaustion (ß = -0.380, p < 0.001) and resilience (ß = 0.169, p < 0.001) were associated with professional identity (F = 114.301, p < 0.001). All associated factors can explain 41.1% of the variance in professional identity, and individual psychological variables make up a substantial portion (28.6%) of this influence. Discussion: Individual psychological variables are strongly associated with professional identity. Helping SRTP trainees reduce psychological distress, alleviate burnout and enhance resilience may be effective ways to promote the formation of their professional identity.

#nursing. What Nurses Do on Instagram- A Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Social media use is increasing every year, and nurses use social media to connect with each other. As Instagram was the most downloaded application in 2022 worldwide, this study focused on nurses' use of Instagram in the context of the development of a professional identity and in support of the professionalization of nursing. Objectives: The aim of the study was to find out how nurses use their Instagram profiles to influence their followers' professional identity and support the professionalization of nursing. Therefore, nurses' Instagram posts and the hashtags they used were analyzed. Methods: A visual content analysis to analyze different Instagram posts using a hierarchical cluster analysis, an ANOVA, and a qualitative content analysis were conducted. The most frequently used nursing-related hashtags were analyzed to include different Instagram profiles (n = 15) in the study. Results: This study identified three different clusters of Instagram profiles, which can be characterized as "Show me what you do," "Let's do education," and "The things we believe in." Consequently, it can be stated that nurses who display their values and beliefs in Instagram reels, half in nursing settings and half at home, have the highest number of followers and significantly more comments per post. The cluster that showed significantly more knowledge-based posts had the lowest number of followers and significantly the lowest number of comments. The content analysis of the hashtags used suggested that nurses who identify themselves as such want to attract attention from other nurses who use nursing-related hashtags. Conclusions: The results reveal that there is a possible benefit of the use of social media in the development of the nursing profession and professional identity. Followers and interactions can be generated when Instagram users identify with the profile and wish to discuss professional beliefs and values.

Understanding medical students' transition to and development in clerkship education: a qualitative study using grounded theory.

BACKGROUND: Medical students perceive the transition to clerkship education as stressful and challenging and view themselves as novices during their rotation in clerkship education. The developmental perspective is thus important because the transition to clerkship supports rather than hinders growth. Accordingly, this study examines medical students' transition to clerkship and their developmental features. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 medical students or graduates who had completed clerkships as medical students. Based on Straussian grounded theory, the collected data were analyzed in terms of the differences between pre- and post-clerkship education. RESULTS: Our data analysis revealed five stages of the transition process: "anticipation and anxiety," "reality check," "seeking solutions," "practical application," and "transition and stability." The core category, that is, "growing up from being students to being student doctors," was driven by patients who perceived the participants as student doctors. Meanwhile, the participants recognized that having a solution that is agreed upon by colleagues was more important than knowing the correct answer. The participants undergoing the transition to clerkship showed developmental features divided into three categories: personal, social, and professional. Specifically, they attempted to balance clerkship and life through personal development, learned to navigate around the hospital and reduced tension through social development, and developed clinical competencies focused on efficiency through professional development. CONCLUSIONS: This study explores the process of students' transition to clerkship education and the developmental features that emerge during this period. The students were motivated by patients who perceived them as student doctors. Through the transition, they maintained a work-life balance and adapted to hospitals but developed an overly doctor-centered attitude by cultivating clinical competencies with a focus on efficiency. To develop them into medical professionals, it is essential to assist their transition and cultivate a patient-centered attitude.

Moral distress and compassion fatigue among nursing interns: a cross-sectional study on the mediating roles of moral resilience and professional identity.

BACKGROUND: Nursing interns often faced moral distress in clinical practice, similar to registered nurses, which can lead to compassion fatigue. The roles of moral resilience and professional identity in influencing the psychological well-being of nursing interns are recognized, but the interrelationships among moral distress, moral resilience, professional identity, and compassion fatigue in this group remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the impact of moral distress on compassion fatigue among nursing interns and to explore the mediating role of moral resilience and professional identity. METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 467 nursing interns. Data were collected using Compassion Fatigue Short Scale, Moral Distress Scale-revised, Rushton Moral Resilience Scale, and Professional Identity Scale. Data analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 and Amos 21.0, adhering to the STROBE statement. RESULTS: The mean scores for compassion fatigue, moral distress, moral resilience, and professional identity were 35.876, 44.887, 2.578, and 37.610, respectively. Moral distress was positively correlated with compassion fatigue. Structural equation modeling showed that moral resilience and professional identity partially mediated the relationship between moral distress and compassion fatigue (ß = 0.448, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that moral distress directly influences compassion fatigue among nursing interns and also exerts an indirect effect through moral resilience and professional identity. Interventions aimed at enhancing moral resilience and fostering a strong professional identity may help mitigate the adverse effects of moral distress on compassion fatigue among nursing interns.

Extending Professional Identity Formation to develop academic faculty for a new medical school.

Academic health centers have a responsibility to foster professional development approaches and engagement environments for faculty to elevate both knowledge and sense of belonging as medical educators. This new educational methods submission depicts faculty development and engagement initiatives implemented at a single institution that were created and influenced by the psychological framework of Professional Identity Formation. The authors suggest ways that academic medical centers can draw upon the formation of these programs to best serve their faculty for cultivating development and engagement for professional growth.

Being, becoming, and belonging: reconceptualizing professional identity formation in medicine.

Over the last decade, there has been a drive to emphasize professional identity formation in medical education. This shift has had important and positive implications for the education of physicians. However, the increasing recognition of longstanding structural inequalities within society and the profession has highlighted how conceptualizations of professional identity formation have also had unintended harmful consequences. These include experiences of identity threat and exclusion, and the promotion of norms and values that over-emphasize the preferences of culturally dominant groups. In this paper, the authors put forth a reconceptualization of the process of professional identity formation in medicine through the elaboration of 3 schematic representations. Evolutions in the understandings of professional identity formation, as described in this paper, include re-defining socialization as an active process involving critical engagement with professional norms, emphasizing the role of agency, and recognizing the importance of belonging or exclusion on one's sense of professional self. The authors have framed their analysis as an evidence-informed educational guide with the aim of supporting the development of identities which embrace diverse ways of being, becoming, and belonging within the profession, while simultaneously upholding the standards required for the profession to meet its obligations to patients and society.

Preprofessional Identity of Nutrition and Dietetics Students in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the preprofessional identity of undergraduate nutrition and dietetic students to guide curriculum development to better support the expectations of students and promote career readiness in a changing profession. DESIGN: Qualitative focus group discussions in March, 2021. SETTING: An Australian university. PARTICIPANTS: First-year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nutrition (n = 50) or Bachelor of Dietetics (n = 58) at the University of the Sunshine Coast. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Student sociodemographics, motivations for and influences on career choice and preprofessional identity, expectations of professional competency and practice, degree, and career expectations. ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were conducted, and focus group discussions were analyzed using the Framework Approach. RESULTS: Motivations and skills were consistent across both cohorts, centering on an interest in nutrition and respectful, professional conduct and communication. Expectations were similar across both degrees, with a focus on placement, real-world learning experiences, and staff support. Career expectations for both cohorts included business ownership. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This research provided an understanding of students' preprofessional identity, which was similar for both nutrition and dietetics students. Motivations identified in this research can be used to inform activities across nutrition and dietetic programs that support career readiness.

Examining the perception of undergraduate health professional students of their learning environment, learning experience and professional identity development: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: The quality of the learning environment significantly impacts student engagement and professional identity formation in health professions education. Despite global recognition of its importance, research on student perceptions of learning environments across different health education programs is scarce. This study aimed to explore how health professional students perceive their learning environment and its influence on their professional identity development. METHODS: An explanatory mixed-methods approach was employed. In the quantitative phase, the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure [Minimum-Maximum possible scores = 0-200] and Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale [Minimum-Maximum possible scores = 1-45] were administered to Qatar University-Health students (N = 908), with a minimum required sample size of 271 students. Data were analyzed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics and inferential analysis. In the qualitative phase, seven focus groups (FGs) were conducted online via Microsoft Teams. FGs were guided by a topic guide developed from the quantitative results and the framework proposed by Gruppen et al. (Acad Med 94:969-74, 2019), transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed using NVIVO®. RESULTS: The questionnaire response rate was 57.8% (525 responses out of 908), with a usability rate of 74.3% (390 responses out of 525) after excluding students who only completed the demographic section. The study indicated a "more positive than negative" perception of the learning environment (Median [IQR] = 132 [116-174], Minimum-Maximum obtained scores = 43-185), and a "good" perception of their professional identity (Median [IQR] = 24 [22-27], Minimum-Maximum obtained scores = 3-36). Qualitative data confirmed that the learning environment was supportive in developing competence, interpersonal skills, and professional identity, though opinions on emotional support adequacy were mixed. Key attributes of an ideal learning environment included mentorship programs, a reward system, and measures to address fatigue and boredom. CONCLUSIONS: The learning environment at QU-Health was effective in developing competence and interpersonal skills. Students' perceptions of their learning environment positively correlated with their professional identity. Ideal environments should include mentorship programs, a reward system, and strategies to address fatigue and boredom, emphasizing the need for ongoing improvements in learning environments to enhance student satisfaction, professional identity development, and high-quality patient care.

TikTok for language teachers: Affordances of TikTok on teachers' identity and emotional vulnerability.

This qualitative study examines how five secondary school TESOL teachers in Thailand use TikTok to express their emotions and shape their professional identities. The research uses semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to explore the platform's role as an emotional outlet and a medium for enhancing teacher-student relationships. Findings indicate that TikTok helps teachers manage work-related stress and allows them to present authentic selves, facilitating deeper connections with students. This interaction further informs their pedagogical practices and supports their professional identity development. The study suggests that TikTok's ability to bridge emotional expression with professional engagement offers valuable insights for integrating social media into educational frameworks. Recommendations are provided for leveraging these platforms to enhance teachers' well-being and instructional strategies, highlighting the need for further research with a broader sample. This study demonstrates the potential of social media to impact teaching dynamics and professional growth.

A Disputed Hegemony: Negotiating Neurosurgical Patient Care in the Netherlands, 1930-1952.

The emergence of the neurosurgical patient as a novel clinical entity in the Netherlands was marked by a lingering conflict between neurologists and neurosurgeons, in which both types of specialists sought to assume the clinical and institutional leadership of neurosurgical patient care. In the 1920s and 1930s, neurologists had facilitated the establishment of the first generation of neurosurgeons in the country, and in the process, had managed to clinically and institutionally subordinate neurosurgery to neurology. As the demand for neurosurgical patient care grew, the neurosurgeons began to challenge this hegemonic relationship. The neurologists, however, were unwilling to give up their control, fearing that they would be bypassed in the diagnosis of patients eligible to neurosurgery. These conflicting aims and interests resulted in an intricate demarcation battle, in which the boundary work between neurologists and neurosurgeons was directly played out at the local workplace and at the meetings of the Study Club for Neuro-Surgery, and indirectly at various other sites of contestation, such as medical journals and academic lecture halls, as both parties sought to rally external stakeholders to their cause. During these negotiations, local, national, and international forces increasingly intertwined to shape the particular organization of Dutch neurosurgery in the middle of the twentieth century. By analyzing this multilayered demarcation process, this article draws attention to the complexity of medical boundary work, and to the way in which, despite pervasive international influences, specialist practice was ultimately negotiated at the local and national levels.

Underrepresented in Medicine Trainees' Sense of Belonging and Professional Identity Formation after Participation in the Leadership Education in Advancing Diversity Program.

BACKGROUND: There are persistent structural barriers that threaten inclusion and retention of underrepresented in medicine (UIM) residents and fellows (trainees) as future faculty in academic medicine. We developed the Leadership Education in Advancing Diversity (LEAD) Program at a single, academic institution, to address these barriers through a 10-month longitudinal curriculum across GME for trainees to develop leadership and scholarship skills in DEI. OBJECTIVE: Explore how participation in LEAD impacted UIM trainees' sense of belonging and professional identity formation in academic medicine; as well as perceptions about pursuing a career in academic medicine and future leadership roles. METHODS: IRB-approved qualitative study in August 2020-August 2021 with individual, semi-structured interviews of UIM LEAD graduates from the first 4 cohorts (2017-2021). Data were analyzed by two authors using modified grounded theory. RESULTS: 14 UIM trainees were interviewed; seven themes emerged. Critical aspects of the program: (1) Creation of a community of shared DEI values (2) Mentorship (3) Role of allies. Results of the program: (4) Deepened appreciation of personal and professional identity as UIM (5) Fostered belonging in academic medicine (6) Appreciation of different careers in academic medicine and how to integrate DEI interests (7) Inspired trainees to pursue leadership roles. CONCLUSIONS: LEAD can serve as a model for other institutions that seek to support UIM trainees' sense of belonging, professional identity formation, and perceptions about pursuing careers in academic medicine and future leadership roles.

The relationship between challenge-hindrance stress, professional identity, and emotional labor of Chinese preschool teachers.

BACKGROUND: Teaching will bring work stress and affect emotions, as well as require a high level of professional identity. However, few have examined trilateral relationships between work stress (in terms of challenge-hindrance stress), professional identity, and emotional labor among Chinese preschool teachers during COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: Based on the conservation of resource theory, this study aimed to examine the relationship between challenge-hindrance stress, emotional labor, and professional identity, as well as explore the mediating effects of professional identity between job stress and emotional labor among Chinese preschool teachers. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, with 753 preschool teachers completing a self-report questionnaire. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation effect testing. RESULTS: Research indicated that 1) challenge-hindrance stress was positively correlated with surface acting (r = 0.21, p < 0.01, and r = 0.28, p < 0.01) but negatively correlated with the expression of naturally felt emotions (r = -0.08, p < 0.05, and r = -0.12, p < 0.01); 2) Challenge-hindrance stress was negatively correlated with professional identity (r = -0.08, p < 0.05, and r = -0.20, p < 0.01); 3) Professional identity exhibited positive correlations with the three dimensions of emotional labor (r = 0.12, p < 0.01; r = 0.64, p < 0.01; and r = 0.56, p < 0.01) and partially mediated the relationship between challenge-hindrance stress and emotional labor. CONCLUSION: The study underscored that challenge-hindrance stress affected emotional labor directly and indirectly through the mediating role of professional identity. Interventions focusing on alleviating work stress and promoting professional identity through comprehensive training could effectively mitigate emotional labor among preschool teachers.

The Turkish adaptation study of the professional identity scale.

BACKGROUND: Professional identity encompasses the understanding of professional practices and the development of values and skills within a specific profession. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the suitability of the 9-item Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale, originally developed by Adams et al. (2006), for Turkish culture and examine its psychometric properties in a sample of postgraduate nurses. METHODS: The study was conducted using a methodological approach. The sample consisted of 100 postgraduate nurses. Various analyses were conducted, including descriptive statistics of the scale, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, item-total score correlation, and scale response bias for reliability assessments. Validity analyses included assessments of language, content, construct validity, concurrent validity, and known group validity. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the 9-item Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale was found to be 0.85, indicating good internal consistency. Item-total score correlations ranged from 0.34 to 0.88. The confirmatory factor analysis goodness of fit indices, except for the AGFI index, had acceptable values after two modifications. The single-factor structure of the scale was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. For concurrent validity, the scale demonstrated a positive and robust correlation with scores from the Nursing Professional Commitment Scale, supporting its validity. In terms of predictive validity, a regression model was established to assess the relationship between independent variables and core professional identity, and the model was found to be at acceptable levels. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the Turkish adaptation of the 9-item unidimensional "Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale" demonstrates acceptable levels of validity and reliability when administered to postgraduate nurses in Turkey.

Explain the professional identity of nursing during COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: To explore the professional identity of nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. Professional identity guides nurses' interaction with patients. In the COVID-19 pandemic, recent developments in society's view of the nursing profession are expected to change the perception of nurses' professional identities. DESIGN: The qualitative study used a conventional content analysis approach. METHODS: Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews from June 2020 to January 2021. Data analysis was performed using Landman and Granheim's analysis and Lincoln and Guba's criteria to ensure the data's rigour. RESULTS: After analysing the 20 interviews with 17 participants, including 11 nurses with an average age of 32.63 ± 6.71 years and six varius community members with an average age of 38.66 ± 5.85 years, three main categories were formed: (1) The dual role of the media in the two subcategories (the positive role and the negative role of the media), (2) Changes in public view of nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic (respect for avoidance and understanding the value of nursing practice) and (3) Change of professional identity by showing self-sacrifice (dealing with adversity and commitment to professional obligations). CONCLUSION: The image in the public view of the nursing profession during the COVID-19 pandemic media differs from before and shows self-sacrifice, professional commitment and humanity in nursing. Nurses' experience of caring during the COVID-19 pandemic has positively affected their professional identity; however, they are concerned about the instability of improving the nursing image in society. IMPACT: Nursing leaders and policymakers can utilize media platforms to portray the nursing profession in a positive light and emphasize the scientific capabilities of nurses. This approach goes beyond highlighting sacrifice and compassion, aiming to shift societal perceptions of nursing and bolster the professional identity of nurses. REPORTING METHOD: We used the COREQ (COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research) checklist as a reporting method. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

The impact of a nutrition course on self-epistemic authority, professional meaning as mediating factors on professional identity among nursing students.

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.

Mediating effect of moral sensitivity and professional identity between moral courage and compassion fatigue among nursing interns: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Compassion fatigue in nursing interns contributes to career indecision and worsens the nursing shortage. While work environment and psychological factors are well-studied, the ethical dimension remains unexplored. Understanding these mechanisms, particularly the role of moral courage, is essential for designing interventions to combat compassion fatigue and address the workforce crisis. This study investigates the influence of moral courage on compassion fatigue among Chinese nursing interns, focusing on the mediating roles of moral sensitivity and professional identity. METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted in accordance with the STROBE guidelines. We used the convenience sampling method to recruit 467 nursing interns from four public junior colleges in Hunan Province, China in February, 2024. Data were collected using Compassion Fatigue Short Scale, Moral Courage Scale, Revised Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire, and Professional Identity Scale. Data analyses were conducted using SPSS 22.0 and Amos 21.0. RESULTS: The modified model exhibited a good fit (χ2/df = 3.437, AGFI = 0.928, IFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.976, CFI = 0.984, NFI = 0.977, RMSEA = 0.072). Moral sensitivity positively influenced both moral courage and professional identity, while professional identity negatively impacted compassion fatigue. Importantly, the effect of moral courage on compassion fatigue was entirely mediated by moral sensitivity and professional identity (ß = -0.114, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that moral courage in nursing interns mitigates compassion fatigue through the combined mediating effects of moral sensitivity and professional identity. Ethics education programs fostering moral courage, moral sensitivity, and professional values in nursing students could be crucial in alleviating compassion fatigue.

Voices of the accelerated: key themes when considering implementation of an accelerated medical school program.

In this rapid communication, accelerated undergraduate medical education is examined using prior literature as well as experiences of those who have completed or are in the process of completing accelerated medical curricula. The Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs (CAMPP) hosts an annual multi-institutional conference for all its members. During the meeting in July 2023, a virtual panel was convened from multiple constituent programs (N = 4) including medical students (N = 2), resident physicians (N = 4), and faculty (N = 2). Panel participants represented current learners or graduates from accelerated pathways of varying specialties (N = 5) to share firsthand experiences about acceleration to an audience representing over 25 medical schools. Five key themes were identified for accelerated students and trainees: Reduced debt as motivating factor to accelerate, Feeling prepared for residency, Ideal accelerated students are driven, Ability to form early professional relationships, and Less time for additional clinical experiences. Discourse from the CAMPP panel can inform current and developing accelerated programs at institutions looking to create or improve accelerated learning.