The Turkish adaptation study of the professional identity scale.

Abstract

Professional identity encompasses the understanding of professional practices and the development of values and skills within a specific profession. 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. 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. 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. 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.