RESUMEN
AIM: To explore cognitions in nurses' professional value and career development amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyse influencing factors. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study design was employed. METHODS: Thirty practising nurses from three general hospitals in Chengdu, China, were purposively recruited. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted. The content analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were obvious cognitive changes in nurses' professional value, including improvement in the cognition of professional value, awareness of the broadening of the field of acting professional value, and realization of increasingly high requirements in careers. Approval and gratitude of patients, social recognition and attention, self-awareness of nurses were main influencing factors. For cognitive changes in career development, nurses became more motivated to develop their careers, had a clearer understanding of career development environment, and acquired a clearer understanding of what was needed to advance careers. Hospital support, social respect, family support, and team atmosphere were key influencing factors. CONCLUSIONS: The contributions made by nurses in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted positive changes in their cognition of professional value and career development. To promote nurses' positive understanding and approach to career development, measures should be taken by hospitals. Further, social respect, family support and team cooperation can enhance nurses' enthusiasm for career development.