Effectiveness of a professional identity promotion strategy for nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A quasi-experimental study.

Abstract

AimTo evaluate the effectiveness of a professional identity promotion strategy (PIPS) on nursing students' professional identity and resilience.MethodsThis study was a quasi‐experimental study with a random cluster sample of 103 sophomore undergraduate nursing students. One hundred students answered the questionnaires at both baseline and follow‐up (51 of 53 in the intervention group and 49 of 50 in the control group). Intervention and control groups underwent 5 months PIPS and standard professional education from May 2 to September 27, respectively. Participants completed the professional identity questionnaire for nursing students (PIQNS) and Connor–Davidson resilience scale (CD‐RISC). Data were collected at baseline (T0), after the intervention (T1) and 3 months after the intervention (T2), and analyzed using the Chi‐squared test, Fisher's exact test, and repeated‐measures analysis of variance.ResultsThere were no significant differences between the two groups (p > .05) regarding demographic questions, professional identity, or resilience at baseline (p > .05). Significant differences were found in professional identity between groups (p < .001), measurement times (p = .026), and in the interaction between groups and measurement times (p = .018) from T0 to T2. Significant differences were found in resilience between groups (p < .001), measurement times (p = .007), and in the interaction between groups and measurement times (p = .035) from T0 to T2.ConclusionsThe PIPS program improved nursing students' professional identity and resilience. Further long‐term effectiveness of the program needs to be tested with implementation through various forms of mobile technology.