Sense Of Professional Identity Research Articles

The Relationship between Perceived Social Support and Work Engagement among Kindergarten Teachers in Xizang

The engagement of kindergarten teachers in their work significantly impacts the physical and psychological well-being of young children and the long-term development of preschool education. This study utilized a questionnaire survey with convenience sampling to select 846 kindergarten teachers from the Xizang region as research subjects. Measurements were conducted using the Social Support Scale, Professional Identity Scale, and Psychological Capital Scale. The findings reveal that the work engagement of kindergarten teachers in this sample was above the medium overall level. Significant differences in social support perception, professional identity, psychological capital, and work engagement were found based on individual background characteristics and the characteristics of the institutions where they worked. There were significant positive correlations between social support, professional identity, psychological capital, and work engagement among kindergarten teachers. Social support had a positive predictive effect on work engagement, while professional identity and psychological capital played a mediating role between social support and work engagement. To enhance the work engagement of kindergarten teachers, it is recommended to strengthen the mechanisms for ensuring social support, to create organizational environments that foster teachers’ psychological capital, and to enhance their sense of professional identity.

Transition shock, future time perspective, professional self-concept, and professional identity among nursing interns: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundTransition shock is prevalent among nursing interns. Future time perspective helps nursing interns learn and work more effectively and improve their problem-solving skills. Professional self-concept and professional identity play an important central and driving role in nursing interns' career choices and career development. However, the mechanism by which future time perspective, professional self-concept and professional identity are linked to transition shock among nursing interns remains unknown. ObjectivesWe assess the degree of transition shock experienced by nursing interns and investigate the connections among transition shock, future-focused viewpoint, professional identity, and professional self-concept. DesignA descriptive, cross-sectional design was conducted. SettingEight hospitals in Hunan Province, China were included in the study. ParticipantsNursing interns at the studied hospital participated in the study. MethodsA total of 1090 nursing interns [929 female, 161 male] were recruited from eight hospitals. Data on transition shock, future time perspective, professional self-concept and professional identity among nursing interns were collected using questionnaires from 30 May to June 15, 2022. ResultsOn a 4-point rating scale, the participants' felt transition shock had a mean overall score of 2.39 (SD = 0.52). The dimension with the highest score was overwhelming workload (mean = 2.74, SD = 0.58), while the dimension with the lowest score was incongruity between work and personal life (mean = 2.16, SD = 0.70).Professional identity was statistically significantly correlated with transition shock (r = −0.198, p < 0.01). The preferred level of nursing (β = 0.354, p < 00.01), professional self-concept (β = 0.226, p < 00.01), professional identity (β = −0.2576, p < 00.01) and future time perspective (β = 0.119, p < 00.01) were predictors of transition shock. ConclusionsThe development of nursing interns’ sense of professional identity and future time perspective should be enhanced during both the education phase and clinical placement to help nursing interns overcome the experience of transition shock.

Student Reflections on Learning in a Doctoral-Level Writing Course.

Programs to improve student writing have been deployed widely in nursing graduate education, but few operational indicators exist for measuring their value. The challenge of measuring outcomes reflects the complexity of what transpires when graduate students write. Better understanding is needed of what it means to students to "learn" from writing support. A full-semester writing course was implemented in a nursing science PhD program. In formative course assessment activities, students identified problems in early drafts of their work, which they subsequently learned to detect and resolve. In this article, students report what was learned. Writing skills, like clinical skills, are intertwined with intellectual maturation and sense of professional identity. Writing, like clinical learning, requires an investment of time and labor far beyond what is typical in didactic approaches to classroom-based graduate education. Our experience suggests a need to reconceptualize writing pedagogy in nursing.

A study on the impact of life meaning on occupational identity of nursing students in China:a cross-sectional study

BackgroundWith the alterations of the Chinese epidemic prevention policy, China experienced a nationwide wave of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic from December 2022 to January 2023.The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic extends beyond individual perceptions of the meaning of life and attitudes toward life and death; it also affects the professional identity of nursing students.This study explored nursing students’ professional identity and life meaning of affected by the pandemic.MethodsAn online survey was conducted using the Chinese version of the Nursing Student Career Identity Scale and the Chinese version of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire to assess the current status of nursing students’ professional identity and sense of life meaning. Data were also collected on participant gender, education, clinical practice experience, and COVID-19 infection.ResultsThe scores for nursing students’ sense of professional identity (61.58 ± 16.16) and sense of life meaning (45.29 ± 12.65) were both at an intermediate level. Compared to the scores before the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese nursing students’ professional identity scores increased, while their sense of life meaning scores decreased. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between professional identity and sense of life meaning (p < 0.001); nursing students exhibited a stronger professional identity when they had a relatively higher sense of life meaning than those with a relatively lower sense of life meaning.ConclusionEnhancing nursing students’ sense of meaning in life is crucial for maintaining their professional identity. Attention should be given to life education for nursing students and the development of relevant educational curricula.

Would you choose to be a psychiatrist again? A large-sample nationwide survey of psychiatrists and psychiatry residents in China

BackgroundThe mental health workforce sustainability in China suffers high rates of attrition and the intention to leave. Among current professionals, the intention to choose the same career is an interesting way to gauge their job satisfaction and other factors, and it may affect the career choices of younger generations. We aimed to survey the intention of psychiatrists and psychiatry residents to choose the same career if they could start over and to identify associated factors.MethodsWe conducted an anonymous survey of psychiatrists in 41 tertiary psychiatric hospitals in China. We collected demographic data, work-related information, the sense of professional identity, job satisfaction, and burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and we specifically asked each participant whether they would choose to be a psychiatrist again if they could.ResultsAmong 3,783 psychiatrists we surveyed, one-quarter responded that they would not choose to be a psychiatrist again if they had a choice, with less than half (47.2%) saying they would. Those who would not choose psychiatry again were more likely to have a negative (relative to positive) professional identity (OR = 7.47, P＜0.001, 95%CI: 4.587–12.164); experience job burnout (OR = 2.945, P＜0.001, 95%CI: 2.356–3.681); be dissatisfied with their job (OR = 2.739, P＜0.001, 95%CI: 2.102–3.569) and excessive regulation (OR = 1.819, P＜0.001, 95%CI: 1.487–2.226); have a heavy workload (OR = 1.749, P＜0.001, 95%CI: 1.423–2.149) or a lower income (OR = 1.748, P＜0.001, 95%CI: 1.415–2.161); be married (relative to single) (OR = 1.604, P = 0.004, 95%CI: 1.165–2.208); be dissatisfied with strained doctor-patient relationship (OR = 1.333, P = 0.005, 95%CI: 1.089–1.632); have more night shifts per month (OR = 1.055, P = 0.021, 95%CI: 1.008–1.104) or work longer hours per week (OR = 1.016, P = 0.001, 95%CI: 1.006–1.025).ConclusionAmong psychiatrists in tertiary hospitals in China, those with a heavier workload, poor sense of professional identity, job dissatisfaction, and burnout were less likely to choose psychiatry again. Policymakers and hospital administrators need to take effective measures to improve psychiatrists’ sense of professional identity and increase their intention to stay.

The Journey from Past to Present

The focus of this paper is on the development of andragogy as an academic discipline and andragogy programmes at Tallinn University. It also reviews the development of adult education in Estonia and outlines empirical findings from previous research related to the learning experiences and the professional identity of students and graduates of andragogy programmes. The research questions in this paper are: What are the main developments of adult education and andragogy as an academic discipline? How do andragogy students and graduates understand their learning experience and professional identity? The findings suggest that academic studies and learning experiences enable students to construct a strong learner identity, which impacts the formation of professional identity. The sense of professional identity becomes stronger during the period of academic studies and continues to develop as a self-developmental process with professional, educational, and personal choices.

Research on the Impact of Reality Shock on the Professional Identity of Junior Teachers

The reality shock creates complexity and uncertainty for junior teachers, which in turn affects their sense of professional identity. The relationship between reality shock and junior teachers' professional identity is described in detail through a literature review. It is found that reality shock can cause some junior teachers to question their profession and thus reduce their sense of professional identity. To reduce the impact of reality shock on junior teachers' professional identity, it is necessary for junior teachers to share teaching resources with other colleagues and provide each other with tools and emotional support.

The relationship between psychological capital, patient's contempt, and professional identity among general practitioners during COVID-19 in Chongqing, China.

General practitioners are crucial in the primary healthcare system as well as for epidemic prevention and control. However, few researchers have examined their professional identity. This study investigated the current status of the professional identity of general practitioners in Chongqing, China and explored the effects of psychological capital and patient's contempt on their professional identity. From December 2021 to January 2022, randomized cluster sampling was used to conduct a cross-sectional online self-assessment questionnaire survey among general practitioners in Chongqing. In total, 2,180 general practitioners working for more than one year were selected. General practitioners' sense of professional identity, mental health, and sense of patients' disrespect were measured using the Professional Identity Scale, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and Patient's Contempt Questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics were also collected. A multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the association between professional identity, psychological capital, and patient's contempt. The average score for professional identity among general practitioners was 53.59 (SD = 6.42). The scores for self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism (subscales of psychological capital) were 26.87 (SD = 5.70), 26.47 (SD = 5.74), 26.97 (SD = 5.55), and 26.86 (SD = 5.59), respectively. The score for perceived contempt was 34.19 (SD = 7.59). An average monthly income greater than CNY 8,000 (β = 1.018, p < 0.001), work tenure of more than 15 years (β = 0.440, p = 0.001), hope (β = 0.249, p < 0.001) and a higher optimism score (β = 0.333, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with professional identity. Having a bachelor's degree and above (β = -0.720, p = 0.014), an administrative role (β = -1.456, p < 0.001), self-efficacy (β = -0.122, p < 0.001), and higher patient's contempt (β = -0.103, p < 0.001) were negatively associated with professional identity. General practitioners in Chongqing demonstrated high professional identity and a strong psychological status during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological capital and patient's contempt were associated with professional identity. To improve general practitioners' professional identity, stakeholders should promote practitioners' mental health and physician-patient relationships in China.

‘If you're a male primary teacher, there's a big “why are you doing that? What is wrong with you?”’ Gendered expectations of male primary teachers: The ‘double bind’

AbstractThe underrepresentation of men in non‐traditional fields of work is often attributed to essentialist gendered beliefs that associate such roles exclusively with women. This phenomenon is not limited to any specific country but is observed worldwide. Moreover, male teacher drop‐out rates remain a consistent issue. This article examines the detrimental impact of gendered expectations of masculinity on male primary teachers through interviews conducted with both male and female teachers in the UK. It argues that men in this occupation face a ‘double bind,’ being judged for conforming to hegemonic masculine norms while also facing judgement for deviating from them. All male teachers interviewed expressed feeling the pressure of gendered expectations, which primarily stem from one central misconception fuelled by traditional conceptions of gender; that the occupation is unsuitable for men. As a result, men who enter the profession encounter challenges not only related to their gender but also their sexuality and their sense of professional identity as teachers. Addressing the damaging role of gender beliefs is crucial in promoting the numerical representation of men in the teaching profession.

Psychological Ownership of Nursing Care: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Background: Nursing care is one of the main tasks of nursing. Currently, organizations are trying to improve the quality of nursing care to satisfy their patients and reduce the cost and length of hospital stays. Psychological ownership (PO) is intended to be a shortcut to achieving this goal through cognitive-emotional changes in nurses. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate PO in nursing care. Methods: The present study was performed with a qualitative content analysis method. The purposive sample was selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data were collected from Iranian nurses from May 2013 to November 2021 in semi-structured, in-depth, one-on-one interviews and subsequently analyzed using the method of Graneheim and Lundman. A code of ethics and required permissions were obtained. Lincoln and Guba’s criteria were used to ensure the reliability of the study, and MAXQDA software (version 10) was used for data management. Results: Data analysis was performed using the conventional qualitative analysis on 13 nurses (mean age: 39 years; 69% female), resulting in the extraction of 395 primary codes, 71 subcategories, 16 subcategories, and 4 main categories (e.g., professional competence, practical efficacy, holistic advocacy, and professional identity). Conclusions: The nurses understood that a sense of ownership of nursing meant seeking to acquire sufficient professional competence and an appropriate position in practice to see themselves as supportive and influential in the healthcare system and have a sense of professional identity.

Healthcare students’ perceptions of professional identity and program support

ABSTRACT To assess the self-reported professional identity of healthcare majors at a large public university, and to understand the degree to which the students perceive their healthcare programs support the development of this identity. An online, modified version of the Professional Identity Five-Factor Scale (Tan, Van der Molen, and Schmidt [2017]. ‘A Measure of Professional Identity Development for Professional Education.’ Studies in Higher Education (Dorchester-on-Thames) 42 (8): 1504–19) was completed by 588 respondents with majors in dietetics, nursing, social work, and speech-language pathology. The 551 respondents who completed all survey items were included in the statistical analysis. Self-reported measures of students’ professional identity during preparation for practice were captured along with perceptions of program support. Findings indicated: (1) professional identity and perceptions of program support increase with age; (2) first-generation college students are more likely to have a professional role model and feel positive about program support for having a role model and in developing professional self-efficacy; (3) monolingual English-speakers had a higher professional identity and more positive perception about program support than multilingual students; (4) White students showed a higher sense of professional identify than non-White groups; and (5) there was no significant difference in professional identify or program support between genders as well as between four sexual orientation identities. Healthcare training programs benefit from supporting professional identity among pre-professionals to better prepare the workforce of tomorrow. Non-White, multilingual, and first-generation college students would especially benefit from professional role models and targeted programming to increase their sense of professional identity. Such efforts may support their persistence in healthcare fields where they are often underrepresented.

Transformation of psychotherapeutic relationships during the war

ABSTRACT In this essay, the author attempts to describe how the pressures of the crisis and the trauma created by the war in Ukraine have reshaped and transformed both her identity as a dynamic psychotherapist and her typical relationship with her patients. As both therapists and patients are grappling with their own safety and their contribution to the war effort, the therapeutic neutrality and anonymity the author had been trained to maintain are now making no sense. Through dramatic clinical vignettes illustrating these struggles, the author describes how certain feelings abound, guilt and shame for those who flee for the safety of other countries, and anger, envy and resentment for those who are left behind, and how these feelings are being played out in the therapeutic relationships. Ethical dilemma forces her to abandon her neutral stance with some patients and contribute to reshape her own sense of professional identity. In the end, through intense and anxious questioning, the search for human connection in the face of horrors seem to survive and support both patients and therapists.

Behind the Mask II

The COVID-19 pandemic presented the medical education community with unprecedented challenges. Little is known about the impact of the pandemic on professional identity formation (PIF) in matriculating students. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of COVID-19 on PIF in a cohort of first-year medical students using mask-making and narrative reflection. This study took place in the spring of 2021. Following IRB approval, Penn State College of Medicine’s University Park Entering Class of 2020 (n=12 students) was invited to create a mask to express the impact of COVID-19 on their sense of professional identity. In addition, students completed a written narrative and a brief survey to further explore how COVID-19 has affected their learning and professional development. Basic descriptive statistics were used to analyze survey responses. Visual thematic analysis was used to analyze the masks and principles of grounded theory with iterative constant comparison was used to extract emergent themes from student narratives. Ten students completed the survey. Five students further completed the reflection and created a mask. Students generally felt that the pandemic strengthened their resolve to become a physician and were optimistic that training will eventually return to normal. When analyzing masks and narratives, COVID was mentioned only in the context of qualities of an ideal physician, but not when relating elements of self-identity. The most salient domains coded within the mask and narrative included “habits” and “personal characteristics”, respectively. While COVID has had a significant impact on medical training, this cohort of first year students exhibited remarkable resilience, reported minimal emotional impact from the pandemic, and shared themes of developing strong habits and laudable professional characteristics as more central to their developing sense of PIF than any specific element of COVID.

Do You Have Any ID? Exploring Opinions and Understanding of Year 4 MPharm Students on Professional Identity

ObjectiveTo investigate Year 4 Master of Pharmacy students’ understanding and sense of professional identity (PI) and explore the factors that positively and negatively impact PI formation in the undergraduate program. MethodsThree focus groups were conducted in January 2022 with 5–8 participants per group. Audio from the focus groups was recorded and recordings were transcribed verbatim. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to construct themes and subthemes. ResultsFour themes, with associated subthemes, were generated. The themes were ‘Understanding PI’, ‘Experience of Master of Pharmacy degree’, ‘Interaction and comparison with others,’ and ‘Development of self’. ConclusionParticipant understanding of PI reflected the wider literature, including ambiguity as to what it means to a pharmacist in training. The lens of legitimate peripheral participation in a community of practice was used to reflect on curricular and educational approaches to support undergraduate PI formation. Participants expressed that patient-focused learning experiences and opportunities to participate in authentic professional activities alongside peers and more experienced members of the pharmacy community positively contribute to PI formation. This suggests that a sociocultural perspective where learning is viewed as legitimate peripheral participation in a community of practice provides a valid theoretical basis to underpin curriculum design.

Psychosocial interprofessional perinatal education: Design and evaluation of an interprofessional learning experience to improve students’ collaboration skills in perinatal mental health

BackgroundPerinatal mental health disorders are one of the leading causes of maternal illness and suffering and care and services need to be well coordinated by an interprofessional team who are skilled in working collaboratively. AimThe aim of this paper is to describe the design and evaluation of an innovative interprofessional education initiative to increase midwives and other health professional students’ knowledge and skills in caring collaboratively for women with psychosocial issues in the perinatal period, including women experiencing domestic and family violence. MethodsThe Psychosocial Interprofessional Perinatal Education workshop was designed for midwifery, psychology, social work and medical students. It provided a simulated learning experience with case studies based on real life situations. Students undertook pre and post surveys to measure changes in students’ perceptions of interprofessional collaboration and their experiences of participating in the interprofessional simulation-based learning activity. Quantitative survey data were analysed using paired t-tests and a qualitative content analysis was undertaken on the open-ended questions in the survey. FindingsComparison of pre and post surveys found students from all disciplines reported feeling more confident working interprofessionally following the workshop. The following categories were generated from analysis of the open ended survey data: Greater understanding of each others’ roles; Recognising benefits of interprofessional collaboration; Building on sense of professional identity; Respecting each other and creating a level playing field; and Filling a pedagogical gap. ConclusionThrough this innovative, simulated interprofessional education workshop students developed skills essential for future collaborative practice to support women and families experiencing psychosocial distress.

Teachers in Malta, their professional identity and their experience of school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

One of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the way we organised teaching and learning. This research paper evaluates the exterience of teachers in Malta during the initial stages of school closures and the way they have been forced to adapt their practices in order to meet the needs of their learners and wider communities. Teachers were expected to change their instructional methods and operate largely through remote teaching. The way teachers’ practices were transformed impacted on their sense of professional identity, and four themes which help to evaluate the re-imagining of teachers’ identities are explored: the professional expectations on teachers, the new technological skills and knowledge teachers were expected to acquire, teachers’ stress, and teachers’ identity and sense of agency. These themes help to bring to the fore teachers’ narratives of their newly acquired practices, but also a realisation of the need for professional learning and a vision that supports teachers in similarly challenging scenarios.

President's Paragaphs: HASTI’s Preservice Teacher Scholarship:

The author utilized HASTI's Preservice Teacher Scholarship to bring their science methods students to the annual HASTI conference. Results were overwhelmingly positive. The author encourages all science educators to share HASTI's annual conference with any preservice or beginning teachers to help get them connected to a group of dedicated science educators and to help develop their commitment to professional development and sense of professional identity.

Get ready...get set...go! A new entrant programme for social workers in mental health

INTRODUCTION: Previous research has found that many social work new graduates donot feel that they come to their work in mental health with sufficient knowledge. One way of remedying this is using post-qualifying New Entrant to Specialist Programmes (NESP), where social workers gain additional knowledge and skills in a particular field of practice. METHODS: A small-scale research project was conducted with five social workers whohad recently completed a NESP qualification within a district health board (DHB) setting in Aotearoa New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were used to obtain deep information from participants in line with a subjectivist perspective. FINDINGS: Participants indicated that they had found the NESP qualification useful in improving their confidence and competence in their early practice years. They found the programmewas useful in decreasing a sense of isolation by bringing them together with other social workers, or members of other disciplines, and they appreciated the skills and support they had received from their group supervision experience. The greatest challenges revolved around time constraints and they wished for more social-work-specific and cultural content within their programmes. CONCLUSIONS: The programmes appear to serve an important function in improving competence and confidence for social workers new to the field of mental health. Social work’s commitments to social justice and Te Tiriti o Waitangi need to continue to be pulled through into post-qualifying programmes and a sense of professional identity needs to be nurtured within medically oriented settings.

Institutional exclusion and exploitation of language teachers

Language teacher education programs and language teaching research often overlook the impact of precarity on the teachers, their practice, and their sense of professional identity. The lack of stable employment in the field creates barriers to the professionalization and development of teachers. Precarious employment is used to further marginalize teachers within their institutions by systematically excluding them from activities that would enhance their practice and professionalization. At the same time, precariously employed teachers perpetuate these power imbalances by unwittingly participating in activities that may further contribute to their precarity. Teachers enter the profession because they care, but they are also taken advantage of because they care. Language teacher education programs need to address these power imbalances to prevent teachers from being excluded or exploited where they teach.

Shadow ESL Education from North American Tutors’ Perspective

For-profit, private tutoring services, often referred to as shadow education, are tutoring students for pay and are made use of as a concurrent supplement to their standard academic courses or programs. These tutoring sessions are often online and given by tutors who work for companies that are for-profit businesses in the education services industry. Tutors are often subject matter “experts” working as independent contractors, many of whom have little or no formal training as teachers. This is a qualitative case pilot study consisting of semistructured interviews with two such tutors working at a company that offers online tutoring in content areas and ESL to Chinese international undergraduate students studying abroad in Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Data reveal that these tutors have concerns with their sense of professional identity as teachers. These results elicit questions of who has the privilege of being called a “teacher” and the status of online for-profit tutors as compared to classroom teachers. Findings also include that tutors’ perceptions of working for a for-profit shadow education company impacts their teaching practices.