Abstract
This study was designed to estimate the associations between self-efficacy and professional identity. A total of 1,051 freshmen nursing students (FNSs) from the Be Resilient to Nursing Career (BRNC) program were recruited from four universities between September and November 2020. A latent profile and moderated meditation analysis were performed. Four profiles of self-efficacy were identified and named as Lowest (15.6%), Med-low (45.0%), Med-high (32.7%), and Highest (6.7%). The mediating role of resilience and the moderating effect of role models were also identified. Therefore, self-efficacy, resilience, and role models may be three important factors to professional identity in FNSs and these relationships should be further validated in longitudinal or interventional studies.
Highlights
A total of 1,220 freshmen nursing students (FNSs) were invited to participate in the survey but 169 participants were excluded because they refused to complete the survey (N = 93) or had missing data (N = 76)
54.8% FNSs had a bachelor education level and 64.3% FNSs were from the countryside
Significant differences of professional identity were identified in variables, including: are there any medical staff as relatives (P = 0.001), do you have a nursing role model (P < 0.001), do you want to leave the profession (P < 0.001)
Summary
The shortage of nurses has become a global issue and nursing students’ retention deserves additional attention from nursing scientists (Bakker et al, 2018; World Health Organization, 2020). Professional identity develops through their understanding of the intended professional skills, qualities, conduct, culture, and ideology about nursing (Jackson, 2016; Browne et al, 2018). Professional identity is positively associated with students’ mental health, clinical performance, and care quality (Hensel and Laux, 2014; Sun et al, 2016; Nyirenda and Mukwato, 2017; Wang et al, 2019). The methods of improving professional identity resulting in a high retention rate should be further explained, and intervention programs designed to improve freshman nursing students’ (FNS) professional identity may be cost-effective
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