Influences of nursing students' career planning, internship experience, and other factors on professional identity

The association between proactive personality and interprofessional learning readiness in nursing students: The chain medication effects of perceived social support and professional identity

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional education (IPE) has been advocated for all healthcare students, and readiness for interprofessional learning significantly influences its effectiveness. It is essential to explore the antecedent factors of readiness for interprofessional learning among nursing students to promote IPE. While a proactive personality might impact readiness for interprofessional learning, its specific role has remained unspecified.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the mediation effects of perceived social support and professional identity on the association between proactive personality and readiness for interprofessional learning among nursing students.

DESIGN

The study utilised a cross-sectional design.

SETTINGS

Research was conducted at two universities and two vocational schools in Hainan Province, China.

PARTICIPANTS

On-campus nursing students were invited to participate between March and May 2023.

METHODS

A flyer was distributed to the participants with a QR code to scan to voluntarily complete the online survey, including the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS), Proactive Personality Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale and Professional Identity Status Questionnaire Scale 5d. Descriptive analysis, Pearson associations and mediation analysis were conducted using SPSS software version 26.0 and PROCESS version 4.2 for SPSS.

RESULTS

The participants' average RIPLS score was 66.93 ± 9.28. Proactive personality (r = 0.633, p < 0.01), perceived social support (r = 0.605, p < 0.01) and professional identity (r = 0.549, p < 0.01) were all positively related to readiness for interprofessional learning. Meanwhile, the relationship between proactive personality and readiness for interprofessional learning was partly mediated by perceived social support (25.15 %), professional identity (13.35 %) and the chain effects (9.48 %) of perceived social support and professional identity.

CONCLUSIONS

The nursing students in Hainan, China demonstrated a medium level of readiness for interprofessional learning. Compound strategies that foster proactive personality, provide social support and boost positive professional identity are warranted to improve nursing students' readiness for interprofessional learning.

The relationships among career adaptability, career commitment, career identity, and career well-being in Chinese nursing undergraduates: A longitudinal study

Exploring the longitudinal relationship between career adaptability, career commitment, career identity, and career well-being among Chinese undergraduate nursing students. A mediation effect analysis was performed. The Career Adaptability Scale, the Chinese version of Career commitment, the Career identity Scale, and the Career well-being Scale were used as research instruments. Six hundred ninety-two nursing students were followed up in two waves to explore the relationships among career adaptability, career commitment, career identity, and career well-being. Model comparison was performed to explore the differences in such relationships between low and high-career interests. Career commitment at T1 mediated the relationship between career adaptability at T1 and career identity at T2 and that between career adaptability at T1 and career well-being at T2. Significant differences were observed between the mediation models of nursing students with high and low career interests. Career commitment plays a longitudinal mediator role in the relationship between career adaptability and career identity and the relationship between career adaptability and career well-being.

Latent profiles of narrative competence and professional identity among nursing students: A cross-sectional analytic study based on the Ring theory of personhood

AIM

To identify latent profiles of narrative competence in nursing students and examine the association between the potential competence profiles and professional identity from a person-centred perspective.

BACKGROUND

According to the Ring theory of personhood, nursing students can develop their professional identities from individual, relational and social aspects through interaction with patients, as well as listening to, understanding and responding to patients' disease narratives. However, few studies have examined the relationship between narrative competence and professional identity through the quantitative method.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional analytic study.

METHODS

A total of 472 nursing students responded to the survey between March and May 2023. The Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nurse Students and the Narrative Competence Scale were given to participants. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify narrative competence profiles. The Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars method was used to analyse whether these latent profiles for narrative competence affected nursing students' general, individual, interpersonal and social professional identities.

RESULTS

Latent profiles were identified as "low narrative competence" (12.1 %), "relatively low narrative competence" (39.9 %), "moderate narrative competence" (40.1 %) and "high narrative competence" (7.9 %). The profiles only show level differences rather than combinations of competence areas. These profiles had varying effects on the nursing students' general professional identities, as well as their individual, relational and social professional identities.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the significance of providing tailored guidance and support to nursing students, taking into account their unique narrative competency profile, to promote the formation of professional identity from individual, relational and social aspects. Nursing educators should effectively distinguish nursing students with inadequate narrative competence and value patients' disease narratives to promote narrative competence and professional identity.

An examination of the career decision-making self-efficacy of final-year nursing students

BACKGROUND

One in four newly graduated registered nurses leave their employment positions within the first year. To reduce this attrition, nursing stakeholders could focus on the final year of nursing education because students at this stage make professional career plans, including their practice destination for the graduate year and their commitment to the profession. Previous studies provide evidence of nursing students' career preferences and specialty choices. However, there is a dearth of data that focuses on the students' career decision-making process.

AIM

This study examined the self-efficacy or confidence of final-year nursing students in making career decisions and the factors that influence their career decision-making process.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Final year pre-registration nursing students (N = 222) at two public universities in Western Australia.

METHODS

An online survey was used to collect cross-sectional data. The Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale - Short Form was used to investigate nursing students' confidence in making career decisions. Career decision-making self-efficacy refers to the confidence to successfully complete career decision-making tasks. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the participants' characteristics. The chi-square test was used to assess the significance of the difference between categorical data, and binary logistic regression was used to determine the odds of the factors that predict career decision self-efficacy.

RESULTS

Forty-seven percent of participants who answered all Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale - Short Form questions had good confidence in making career decisions. Factors such as the setting of the final clinical placement, the intention to be employed in the specialisation or organisation of their final placement and the students' assessment of their clinical experience were associated with career decision-making confidence.

CONCLUSIONS

Most participants had low confidence in making career decisions. This study provides ideas for nursing stakeholders to implement measures to improve students' confidence to make informed career decisions.

Academic procrastination of nursing students in higher vocational college: Application of latent profile analysis and network analysis

BACKGROUND

Academic procrastination is especially prevalent among nursing students in higher vocational colleges and it is considered an important factor of poor academic performance. However, existing research mainly focused on the overall level of academic procrastination, and little is known about the individual heterogeneity of academic procrastination among nursing students in higher vocational colleges. Thus, the aim of this study was to clarify the subgroups and factors of academic procrastination among nursing students in higher vocational college and explore academic procrastination networks of the latent subgroups.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study with online survey. 1369 nursing students in one higher vocational college were recruited using convenience sampling. Participants completed electronic questionnaires that collected demographic and academic characteristics, perceived stress, and academic procrastination. Latent profile analysis, multinomial logistic regression analysis, and network analysis were performed to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Three latent profiles of academic procrastination were identified: low (32.4 %), medium (53.3 %), and high (14.3 %). Higher vocational college nursing students who have reset an exam, low professional identity, and perceived more stress are more likely to have higher academic procrastination than other profiles. Network analysis showed that academic procrastination networks structure of the three latent profiles had distinct central components. For the low academic procrastination group, AP11 ("I make study plans, but I often fail to stick to them") and AP12 ("If there is no external pressure, I tend to postpone assignments or reports with deadlines") were the core components. For the medium academic procrastination group, AP17 ("I always wait until I can't postpone my academic tasks any longer before starting them") and AP16 ("I always tend to postpone on assignments or other academic tasks") were the central components. For the high academic procrastination group, AP16 and AP7 ("When studying in my dorm room, I often stop to do other things") were the essential components.

CONCLUSIONS

There is heterogeneity in higher vocational college nursing students' academic procrastination that can be classified into three latent profiles. The examined factors of academic procrastination and identified the central components of academic procrastination networks of the three latent profiles help nurse educators tailor targeted interventions.

Perceived professional preparedness and identity among senior nursing students: a latent profile Analysis

BACKGROUND

Senior nursing students' perceptions of their professional preparedness help them for expectations of their future nursing role with more confidence, and professional identity may contribute to cultivating nursing students' perceptions of professional preparedness. In this study we applied latent profile analysis to identify the latent profiles of perceived professional preparedness among senior nursing students and to examine their identity and predictors.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. A total of 319 senior nursing students from five universities in China were enrolled. Data were collected using the Perceived Professional Preparedness of Senior Nursing Students' Questionnaire and the Professional Identity Scale for Nursing Students.

RESULTS

Three latent profiles were identified and labeled as "low perceived professional preparedness" (n = 90, 28.2%), "low clinical competency-low EBP (Evidence-Based Practice)" (n = 190, 59.5%), and "high perceived professional preparedness" (n = 39, 12.2%). Place of residence, average clinical practicum hours per day, part-time experience, good relationships with classmates, and feeling nobility toward nursing due to COVID-19 significantly predicted profile membership. The average professional identity score was also statistically different across the three profiles (F = 54.69, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Senior nursing students' perceptions of their professional preparedness were divided into three profiles, and out results show that promoting professional identity may effectively foster their perceived professional preparedness. This study therefore highlights the importance of targeted interventions by considering their distinct perceptions of professional preparedness patterns.

Relationships between professional identity, motivation, and innovative ability among nursing intern students: A cross-sectional study

Objective

To explore the relationships among motivation, professional identity, and innovative ability of nursing intern students.

Background

Professional identity and innovative ability are important for nursing students' core competitiveness and care quality. During the internship, nursing students integrate theoretical knowledge and practice, and have a rapid growth. Motivation is positively associated with professional identity and innovative ability. However, there are limited studies examining the professional identity, motivation, and innovative ability of nursing intern students.

Design

A descriptive cross-sectional online study.

Methods

Students in the nursing schools in southwest and central of China were included in this study and conducted from June to July 2022. A total of 474 nursing intern students were recruited from 16 nursing schools. Research data were collected with "Participants' Demographics Form", "the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nursing Students", "the Revised Life Goals Questionnaire", and "the Revised Multidimensional Innovative Questionnaire". Independent-sample t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, correlation coefficients, and structural equation modeling were used in data analysis. This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines.

Results

A significantly positive correlation was determined among the professional identity (67.55 ± 8.42), motivation (53.38 ± 5.54), and innovative ability (47.99 ± 5.46) of nursing students (r > 0.4, P < 0.001). Motivation had a mediating effect on professional identity and innovative ability (P = 0.003), accounting for 10.9% (0.075/0.689) of the total effect.

Conclusions

There was a positive correlation among professional identity, motivation, and innovative ability. Developing motivation and professional identity can enhance nursing intern students' ability to innovate.

The mediating effect of self-directed learning ability between professional identity and burnout among nursing students

Objectives

Burnout influences students' academic performance and mental health. This study analyzed the relationship between professional identity, self-directed learning ability, and burnout, and examined the mediating effect of self-directed learning ability between professional identity and burnout among nursing students.

Methods

884 nursing students were recruited at two medical universities in China. Demographic information, Academic Burnout Scale, Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nursing Students, and Self-directed Learning Instrument were distributed to collect data.

Results

Both professional identity (β = -0.17) and self-directed learning ability (β = -0.43) showed negative associations with students' burnout. Meanwhile, there was a partial mediating effect of self-directed learning ability between professional identity and burnout (-0.24, 95% CI = -0.30, -0.20).

Conclusions

Nursing educators should emphasize on developing effective strategies to improve nursing students' professional identity and self-directed learning ability to prevent or reduce their burnout.

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

Background

Transition 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.

Objectives

We 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.

Design

A descriptive, cross-sectional design was conducted.

Setting

Eight hospitals in Hunan Province, China were included in the study.

Participants

Nursing interns at the studied hospital participated in the study.

Methods

A 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.

Results

On 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.

Conclusions

The 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.

Barriers and facilitators to the formation of professional identity among nursing students: A four-year longitudinal qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Nursing professional identity (NPI) is essential for nurses to develop their nursing profession. It reflects the competencies consistent with the professional practices of nurses and contributes to them providing better healthcare and public health. The formation process of NPI started with undergraduate nursing education and continued throughout the nursing career.

OBJECTIVE

To explore nursing students' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to the formation of NPI during their study.

METHODS

A 4-year longitudinal, qualitative research design with yearly semi-structured interviews undertaken from 2019 to 2022. The reflexive thematic analysis methodology was applied for the data analysis.

RESULTS

Ninety-three nursing students were recruited, joining a group or individual interview. The four-year nursing baccalaureate program revealed a dynamic formation process of NPI: "Outsider of nursing", "Entering the nursing courses", "Building nursing competence", and "Thinking and acting like a nurse". A total of 12 themes were identified to present the barriers and facilitators to the NPI formation at different stages. Specifically, the six barriers include conflict between their ideals and reality, sociocultural stereotypes about nursing, the negative impact of COVID-19, the pre-internship concerns, struggling to meet expectations, and potential danger and discrimination in the healthcare settings. The enablers were: self-motivation and inner belief towards the nursing profession, the power of role models, the improvement of nursing capacity, well integration into the healthcare professional teams, understanding of the clinical environment, and recognition and encouragement from others.

CONCLUSIONS

The formation of nursing students' NPI is an ever-changing process, with various intrinsic and extrinsic influences during their four-year study. Nursing educators are suggested to prepare and develop students' professional comportment in their theoretical and clinical practice to develop their professional identity as a nurse.

Understanding and barriers of professional identity formation among current students and recent graduates in nursing and midwifery in low resource settings in two universities: a qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

In the changing healthcare landscape, a strong professional identity serves as a cornerstone for nurses. Therefore, transformative educational approaches that include professional judgement, reasoning, critical self-evaluation and a sense of accountability are required to foster professional identity. We explored the understanding and barriers to professional identity formation among recent graduates and students of midwifery and nursing in Uganda.

METHODS

A descriptive qualitative research design employing focus groups was used to collect data from student nurses and midwives from Makerere University, Mbarara University, and recent graduates in nursing and midwifery programs attending their internship training at Mulago National and Mbarara Regional Referral hospitals. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

A total of 33 students and 26 recent graduates participated in the study. The participants who reported understanding Professional identity in nursing and midwifery mentioned that these are principles, characteristics and values, competencies, ethics and code of conduct, sense of belonging and professionalism that define the nursing profession and practice. Barriers to the formation of professional identity were provided under two themes: education and health service delivery. The education theme included subthemes like nursing educators not working in clinical settings and inadequate clinical mentoring. Under the health service delivery theme, subthemes emerged included high workload, lack of interprofessional collaboration, many levels of nursing and midwifery practice, no clear scope of practice for different levels of nursing and midwifery practice, Low esteem among nurses and midwives, media and lack of policy implementation.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Participants were knowledgeable about professional identity in nursing/midwifery. They faced several challenges and barriers in professional identity formation during their training and internship. We recommend a need to streamline the scope of practice and enhance clinical mentorship and engagement of leadership in nursing in developing professional identity among students.

The effectiveness of using situational awareness and case-based seminars in a comprehensive nursing skill practice course for undergraduate nursing students: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Nurses play an important role in healthcare development. The increasing demands for nurses mean that nursing schools at the undergraduate level have the responsibility to ensure patient safety and quality care through a well-designed curriculum. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of the teaching method combined with situational awareness and case-based seminars in a comprehensive nursing skills practice course on the level of self-directed learning, professional identity, academic self-efficacy, theoretical scores, practical scores, teaching satisfaction, and student competence among nursing students.

METHODS

The research population comprised was of the grades of 2019 and 2020 at Wannan Medical College in Anhui Province, China (n = 169, response rate 77.88%). The observation group from grade 2020 used the teaching method combined with situational awareness and case-based seminars, whereas the control group from grade 2019 used the traditional teaching mode. General information, self-directed learning, a professional identity, and academic self-efficacy were compared between the two groups. This research used means and standard deviations, chi-square, the Shapiro-Wilk test, and an independent sample t-test for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the total scores for self-directed learning, professional identity, and academic self-efficacy were higher in the observation group (78.80 ± 7.89 vs 60.21 ± 7.44, 63.39 ± 7.87 vs 52.35 ± 7.68, and 22.31 ± 3.30 vs 21.28 ± 2.31, respectively, with P < 0.05 for all scores). More significant improvements were made in the observation group on the level of theoretical scores (81.39 ± 3.32 vs 76.28 ± 5.90) and practical scores (93.32 ± 4.70 vs 90.67 ± 5.09) (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, teaching satisfaction, which includes teaching method (66/18 vs 32/53) and teacher-student interaction (72/12 vs 34/51), and student competence, which includes team cooperation (67/17 vs 39/46), critical thinking (60/24 vs 31/54), and communication skills (67/17 vs 38/47) after the intervention (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in social persuasion (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The teaching method combined with situational awareness and case-based seminars in a comprehensive nursing skills practice course has the potential to improve the level of self-directed learning, professional identity, and academic self-efficacy, and it increases theoretical scores, practical scores, teaching satisfaction, and student competence.

Implementation and effectiveness of a nurse navigation programme based on noddings' care theory in first-year undergraduate nursing students for professional identity and career planning: A quasi-experimental study

AIMS

Development and evaluation of the effectiveness of a Nurse Navigation programme based on Noddings' Care theory on two dependent variables which were professional identity and career planning among first-year undergraduate nursing students.

BACKGROUND

First-year undergraduate nursing students generally have a low sense of professional identity and career planning, resulting in a loss of nursing power after graduation. Implemention of a Nurse Navigation program based on Noddings' Care theory may be potentially useful in cultivating their professional identity and career planning.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 122 first-year undergraduate nursing students from two medical universities was recruited between September 2021 and June 2022. Students in the experimental group (n = 63) participated in the Nurse Navigation programme based on Noddings' Care theory, which contained four core components, spreading over 50 lessons. Those in the control group (n = 59) underwent a traditional training programme with five components across 44 lessons. The two groups were compared in terms of their level of professional identity by Professional identity questionnaire for nurse students (PIQNS) and career planning by Career planning questionnaire (CPQ) after the training using the t-test.

RESULTS

The mean score of professional identity in the experimental group increased significantly from 51.02 ± 8.46 at baseline to 58.02 ± 8.81 after the intervention (p < 0.001), with a large effect size (Cohen's d=0.810). Also, this post-intervention score was statistically significantly higher than that (52.86 ± 9.27) in the control group (p = 0.002), with a medium effect size (Cohen's d=0.571). The mean score of career planning in the experimental group increased significantly from 81.76 ± 9.86 at baseline to 94.52 ± 10.81 after the intervention (p < 0.001), with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.233). Also, this post-intervention score was statistically significantly higher than that (88.25 ± 9.30) in the control group (p < 0.001), with a medium effect size (Cohen's d=0.623).

CONCLUSIONS

The Nurse Navigation programme based on Noddings' Care theory showed effectiveness in enhancing professional identity and career planning among first-year undergraduate nursing students in China. Further rigorous studies are needed to examine its effectiveness and long-term impacts on these students.

Structural equation modeling for associated factors with patient safety behaviors among nursing interns: A cross-sectional study based on the capability opportunity motivation-behavior model

BACKGROUND

Nursing interns are one of the most crucial providers of nursing services. Their safety behaviors are closely associated with adverse events. Therefore, it is vital to explore the factors influencing nursing intern safety behavior to improve patient safety.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate patient safety behavior among nursing interns and explore latent influencing mechanisms based on the capability opportunity motivation-behavior (COMB) model.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: The participants were 422 nursing interns recruited through convenience sampling from a comprehensive teaching hospital.

METHODS

Data on general information, nursing interns' patient safety behavior, metacognitive ability, clinical internship environment, and moral sensitivity were collected. Nursing interns' patient safety behavior was described with means and standard deviations. The independent sample t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and SEM were used to determine contributing factors to nursing interns' patient safety behavior.

RESULTS

The mean total score for patient safety behavior was 53.08 ± 6.22. The results indicated that metacognitive ability not only directly affects the patient safety behavior of nursing interns (β = 0.554, P < 0.001, 95 % CI = [0.446, 0.637]) but indirectly affects interns' safety behavior through professional identity (β = 0.009, P = 0.031, 95 % CI = [0.001, 0.019]). The clinical internship environment also has both direct (β = 0.258, P = 0.001, 95 % CI = [0.166, 0.349]) and indirect (β = 0.007, P = 0.029, 95 % CI = [0.001, 0.015]) effects on the patient safety behavior of nursing interns.

CONCLUSION

There are some specific areas where nursing interns' safety behaviors need to be improved. This study reveals that strong metacognitive ability and a clinical internship environment with rich opportunities might be essential for the development of patient safety behaviors. To promote nursing interns' patient safety behaviors, clinical teachers could use reflective teaching methods and provide a supportive clinical environment to nurture nursing interns' professional identities and patient safety behaviors.

The effect of an escape room game on college nursing students' learning attitude and game flow experiences in teaching safe medication care for the elderly: an intervention educational study

BACKGROUND

In the context of an aging population, the Gerontological Nursing course is becoming more and more important. Escape room games have been shown to have a positive effect on nursing education, but they have not been applied in the Gerontological Nursing course. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of adding an escape room game-based learning activity at the end of classroom teaching in a Gerontological Nursing course on nursing students' learning attitude and game flow experience.

METHODS

In April 2023, a total of 84 nursing students from two classes at a medical school in Northeast China were selected for the study, and the classes were divided into a test group (n = 41) and a control group (n = 43). Both groups received regular classroom teaching on "Safe Medication Care for the Elderly", and the test group participated in an escape room game at the end of the classroom teaching. General information about the nursing students in both groups was collected prior to participation; learning attitude were measured before and after participation; and game flow experience was measured before and after participation in the test group. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and paired samples t-tests.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference in the general information and learning attitude of nursing students between the two groups before participation. After participation, the total learning attitude score of nursing students in the test group was (73.17 ± 1.67) and that of the control group was (61.63 ± 2.66), and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 5.196). The game flow experience of nursing students in the test group before and after participation was (63.27 ± 2.48) and (81.29 ± 2.49), respectively, and the difference between before and after was statistically significant (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 5.253).

CONCLUSIONS

During the teaching process of the Gerontological Nursing course, an escape room game added at the end of classroom teaching can improve nursing students' learning attitude and also help them to have a good game flow experience. These findings suggest that teaching activities based on the escape room game have considerable practical application value.

Employment intention and career planning of male nursing students in different levels of colleges and universities: A qualitative study

AIM

To explore the employment intention and career planning of male nursing students at different levels of colleges and universities and provide references for formulating individualized training content.

DESIGN

Phenomenological research method in qualitative research.

METHODS

Using a phenomenological research method, 15 male nursing students from three levels of colleges and universities were interviewed in a one-to-half structure, and the data were analysed using NVivo12.0 software and the Colaizzi seven-step analysis method.

RESULTS

Four themes and 10 sub-themes were extracted. The four themes included professional identity experience, nursing learning experience, career expectation and planning and educational needs. The 10 sub-themes included the negative effects of traditional impressions, the gradual establishment of professional identity, public health events promote professional identity, negative experiences in learning, positive growth from learning, varied career plans, career expectations and influencing factors, a reasonable schedule, diversity of content requirements and the positive effect of teaching teachers.

CONCLUSIONS

Influenced by many factors, the employment intention and career planning of male nursing students at different higher education levels are varied. Schools and clinical practice units should strengthen the training of employment intention and career planning and make reasonable time adjustments to the training content.

PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

In total, 15 male interns accepted our interview request. We utilized their break time to conduct the interviews, resulting in significant contributions to the content of the article.

Latent profiles of nursing students' professional identity and their relationship with stress and coping styles during clinical practicum

AIM

This study aimed to identify the latent profiles of professional identity among nursing students and explore the factors associated with different profiles.

BACKGROUND

Nursing students' professional identity is easily influenced by various factors. However, current studies mainly focused on the overall level of professional identity and its related factors, ignoring the population heterogeneity of nursing students' professional identity.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A convenient sampling was used to collect data from 384 nursing students who were undergoing their clinical practicum in the affiliated hospitals of a medical university in China between January and April 2021. Data were collected using the demographic questionnaire, the nursing student internship stress scale, the simplified coping style questionnaire, and the professional identity scale for nursing students. A latent profile analysis was used to identify the latent profiles of professional identity. Kruskal-Wallis H test, analysis of variance and ordinal logistic regression were used to determine factors that were associated with different profiles of professional identity.

RESULT

Nursing students' professional identity could be classified into four profiles: low professional identity, relatively low professional identity, relatively high professional identity and high professional identity. These four profiles showed unique relationships with choosing nursing voluntarily, willing to be a clinical nursing staff, stress in conflict between study and work, and positive coping styles.

CONCLUSION

The majority of the nursing students were classified into profile 1 (low professional identity) and 2 ( relatively low professional identity). Nursing students' lower professional identity need to be further enhanced by improving social recognition of nurses to increase the willingness of high school graduates to choose nursing voluntarily, allocating nursing workforce rationally to increase the willingness of nursing student to be a clinical nursing staff, reducing nursing students' stress in conflict between study and work and encouraging them to adopt positive coping styles.

Implementation of a motivational programme based on existence- relatedness-growth theory in nursing undergraduate interns: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Currently, a paramount issue in nursing education is to motivate nursing undergraduate interns to develop self-directed learning skills and improve their practice satisfaction and professional identity, so as to meet the growing demands in healthcare.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a motivational programme based on the Existence-Relatedness-Growth (ERG) theory in developing self-directed learning skills, improving practice satisfaction and promoting the professional identity of nursing undergraduate interns in China.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study design.

SETTING

A government-funded tertiary teaching hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.

METHODS

This study was conducted with 99 nursing undergraduate interns in a hospital between June 2020 and April 2022. The interns in the experimental group (n = 50) participated in the motivational programme based on ERG theory, while those in the control group (n = 49) underwent a traditional training programme. The interns in the two groups were compared in terms of their degree of self-directed learning, practice satisfaction and professional identity after the training, using independent samples t-test.

RESULTS

After the internship, interns in the experimental group showed a statistically significantly higher level of self-directed learning and practice satisfaction than those in the control group (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in professional identity between the two groups after the internship.

CONCLUSIONS

The motivational programme based on ERG theory was shown to be effective in improving self-directed learning and practice satisfaction in nursing undergraduate interns. A large-scale randomized controlled trial is warranted to confirm the results.

Application of Kano model for optimizing the training system among nursing internship students: a mixed-method Egyptian study

BACKGROUND

Clinical experience is an important component of nursing education because it translates students' knowledge into practice, which serves as the cornerstone of nursing practice in health care delivery.

PURPOSE

The study aims to explore the quality attributes required for optimizing the training system of nursing internship students using Kano model.

METHODS

A concurrent exploratory sequential triangulation design was used for mixed-methods research. A total of 295 nursing internship students (Target Population) were recruited (whole-population sampling) from the study settings in Egypt. Of them, 280 (97.2%) agreed to participate in the study and completed the interview and the self-administered questionnaire. Data collection was done over 6 months from February to August, 2022. Inferential statistics and thematic data analysis were used to analyze the results.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that there were 35 fundamental attributes required for high-quality nursing students' internship training. Kano model was used to categorize and prioritize the 35 quality attributes. Kano analysis revealed that 22 attributes were categorized as "attractive" and 11 attributes were as categorized as "must be" and two were indifferent attributes.

CONCLUSION

Incorporating the voice of nurse interns during their training is the key to providing efficient and high-quality internship training experience. It could give realistic impressions about the drawbacks of training and proposed solutions.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY

Nurse managers and educators in clinical settings and educational institutions should put much emphasis on the training attributes and pillars to ensure that nursing internship students are mastering the skills of competent alumni. Provision of conducive training environment that fulfill the basic needs of internship students to maintain passion for learning as well as commitment of internship students to nursing profession will improve the satisfaction level and quality of education, training, and practice. Also, incorporating internship students support system with motivation strategies are helpful tools to maintain exemplary performance of internship students during the training period.

Nurses' perceptions of preceptorship of undergraduate students in clinical context

BACKGROUND

Nurses' perceptions of preceptorships for undergraduate nursing students are crucial for designing effective and tailor-made strategies to improve nurses' involvement, motivation, commitment, and satisfaction in preceptorships.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to determine nurses' perceptions of preceptorships for nursing students in two hospitals located in northern Spain.

SETTINGS

This study was conducted in two highly specialized, medium-large, university tertiary care hospitals, including one public and one private hospital, located in northern Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants of this study were clinical nurses in private and public health centers who had been preceptors for at least one year.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out between October 2021 and April 2022, with a total sample of 307. The validated "Involvement, Motivation, Satisfaction, Obstacles and Commitment" (IMSOC) questionnaire was used. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were carried out. The variables included sex, age, educational level, preceptorship training, professional experience, work sector, work setting, and type of contract.

RESULTS

The mean global questionnaire score was 115.25 ± 33.86 (95 % CI: 111.62-123), with the highest score obtained for the "Involvement" dimension (29.96; SD: 9.23; 95 % CI: 29.01-34.87). Age showed statistically significant negative correlations with the overall and dimension scores (p < 0.05). Comparisons by work sector and type of contract reflected that nurses working in the private sector and those with permanent contracts had higher motivation and commitment scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Preceptors had positive perceptions of their role in undergraduate nursing students' education. Age, work sector, type of contract and time allocation should be considered when designing strategies to enhance the involvement, motivation, commitment, and satisfaction of nurses in their experiences as preceptors for undergraduate nursing students. Improving the preceptorship experience will benefit both nurses and students by improving preparation, satisfaction, and retention.

Professional Identity among New Rehabilitation Graduates in China: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Survey

Background

The rehabilitation industry suffered in a terrible economic climate caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Healthcare resources and the labor force were directed towards epidemic prevention of post-pandemic, which exacerbated the issue. This study evaluated the professional identity (PI) of new graduates majoring in rehabilitation therapy during the final harsh phase of COVID-19 and explored the factors influencing PI.

Methods

A cross-sectional investigation with a questionnaire was used in this study. A convenience sample of new graduates who majored in rehabilitation were recruited from hospitals and universities nationwide. The data collected demographic information and scores of professional identities for students in the final phase of the strict COVID-19 control policy in 2022.

Results

This study indicated that the average PI was quite a distance from the degree of 'agree' (3.84 on average), particularly for the fitness dimension (3.64 on average). The results identified two influencing variables: employment (Beta= -0.09, P< 0.05) and educational patterns (Beta= 0.12, P< 0.01).

Conclusions

Higher education in rehabilitation should respond to the present shift in the structure of the rehabilitation industry post-COVID-19. Meanwhile, the occupational environment of rehabilitation therapists and the medical value of rehabilitation therapy deserves more attention. This study provides evidence for managers to improve organizational justice and adjust policies on the distribution of medical resources.

Positive childhood experiences on flourishing mediated by meaning in life in Chinese undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To examine the associations of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) with positive mental well-being (i.e. meaning in life and flourishing) in Chinese undergraduate nursing students. The mediation effect of meaning in life on the association between PCEs and flourishing was investigated.

BACKGROUND

Mental health problems, such as high stress, have been prevalent in nursing students. Less is known about positive well-being that could be independent of mental health problems.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study in Chinese nursing students of age ≥ 18 years enrolled in either three-year associate degree or four-year bachelor's degree program at 25 different universities across mainland China.

METHODS

PCEs were measured using the 10-item Benevolent Childhood Experiences scale on perceived relational and internal safety and security, positive and predictable quality of life, and interpersonal support by age 18. Measures of positive mental well-being included the Secure Flourish Index on flourishing and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire on presence of meaning and searching for meaning. Associations were analyzed using multivariable linear regression adjusting for perceived stress.

RESULTS

Of 2105 participants, 87.7% were female, the mean [SD] age was 19.8 [1.6] years. More PCEs were associated with higher flourishing (adjusted b=6.82, 95% CI 6.23, 7.41, β = 0.44), presence of meaning (adjusted b=0.91, 95% CI 0.75, 1.06, β = 0.24), and searching for meaning (adjusted b=0.67, 95% CI 0.49, 0.84, β = 0.17). Presence of meaning (indirect effect: adjusted b=1.57, 95% CI 1.27, 1.89) and searching for meaning (indirect effect: adjusted b=0.84, 95% CI 0.60, 1.08) partially mediated 23% and 12% of the association between PCEs and flourishing, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

PCEs showed dose-response associations with meaning in life and flourishing in Chinese undergraduate nursing students, and the associations remained independent of perceived stress. The association between PCEs and flourishing was mediated through meaning in life. Higher meaning of life and flourishing associated with more PCEs highlighted the importance of increasing awareness and early screening of PCEs in nursing schools. The mediation effects of meaning in life warranted targeted interventions for helping students with fewer PCEs to flourish.

The mediating effect of clinical teaching behavior on transition shock and career identity among new nurses: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

New nurse attrition is a worldwide problem. Because of the gap between theory and practice in their work, new nurses may experience transition shock, which can have a negative impact on their career identity. Clinical teaching behavior is an important component in reducing the impact of new nurse transition, stabilizing the hospital nursing workforce, and cultivating high-quality nursing talents.

OBJECTIVES

Based on the New Nurse Transition Model, to explore the mediating role of clinical teaching behavior in the relationship between transition shock and career identity in the new nurse population of Gansu Province.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Seventeen hospitals in Gansu province of China.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1684 new nurses (1590 female and 94 male) were recruited from seventeen hospitals in Gansu province.

METHODS

Three questionnaires include: The Clinical Teaching Behavior Inventory (CTBI-23), the Transition shock of Newly Graduated Nurses Scale (TSNGNS), and the Nurse's Career Identity Scale (NCIS). Structural equation modeling was used to deal with the relationships among clinical teaching behavior, transition shock, and career identity.

RESULTS

Transition shock was found to be negatively related to both career identity and clinical teaching behavior, with clinical teaching behavior mediates the relationship between transition shock and career identity.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical teaching behavior of the teaching staff plays a role in mediating the relationship between new nurses' sense of career identity and transition shock. Accordingly, the teaching behavior of clinical teaching should be improved and the quality of clinical teaching behavior should be improved to increase the career identity of new nurses and reduce the turnover rate of new nurses.

Effect of the Management in Nursing course on students' time management and career planning attitudes: A single-group pre-test post-test study

AIM

This study aimed to determine the effect of the Management in Nursing course on the time management and career planning attitudes of nursing students.

BACKGROUND

University education is important for young people to develop their time management skills, plan their careers, and implement these plans.

DESIGN

This is a semi-experimental study used single-group pre-test post-test design.

METHODS

This study sample included 133 fourth-year nursing students who enrolled for the Management in Nursing course in the 2019-2020 academic year. Introductory Information Form, Career Futures Inventory (CFI), and Time Management Questionnaire (TMQ) were used for data collection.

RESULTS

A statistically significant difference was found between the pre- and post-test time planning and TMQ scores. Moreover, a significant difference was found between the pre- and post-test career adaptability, career optimism and CFI scores. No significant difference was found between the pre- and post-test scores for the TMQ's time attitudes and time wasters subdimensions; similarly, the CFI's perceived knowledge of the job market subdimension indicated no significant difference between the pre- and post-test scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicated that the Management in Nursing course improved the time management skills of fourth-year nursing students as well as increased adaptability and optimism in their career planning attitudes.

Subgroups of self-directed learning ability and their differences in professional identity among nursing undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic: a latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND

Promoting self-directed learning (SDL) among nursing undergraduates is crucial to meet the new requirements of the healthcare system and to adapt to online learning contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, identifying the classification features of SDL ability and developing targeted interventions are both critical. Professional identity (PI) may contribute to the cultivation of SDL ability, but their relationship remains relatively unknown. This study aimed to explore the subgroups of SDL ability and their differences in PI among nursing undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A total of 2438 nursing undergraduates at four universities in China were enrolled in this cross-sectional study from November 2021 to February 2022. The Self-Directed Learning Scale of Nursing Undergraduates (SLSNU) and the Professional Identity Scale for Nursing Students (PISNS) were administered. A latent profile analysis was performed to explore SDL ability latent profiles. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictors of profile membership, and a one-way analysis of variance was applied to compare the PI scores in each latent profile.

RESULTS

Three latent profiles were identified and labeled 'low SDL ability' (n = 749, 30.7%), 'low initiative of help-seeking' (n = 1325, 54.4%) and 'high SDL ability' (n = 364, 14.9%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis suggested that nursing undergraduates who voluntarily chose a nursing major, had served as a student cadre, and had participated in clinical practicum were less likely to be included in the "low SDL ability" group. The average PI score was statistically different across the three profiles (F = 884.40, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The SDL ability among nursing undergraduates was divided into three profiles, and results show that promoting PI may effectively foster SDL ability. This study highlights the importance of targeted interventions by considering their distinct SDL ability patterns, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mediating role of resilience between learning engagement and professional identity among nursing interns under COVID-19: A cross-sectional study

AIM

The aim of the study was to explore the mediating effect of resilience between learning engagement and professional identity of nursing interns.

DESIGN

A descriptive, cross-sectional study design.

METHODS

An online questionnaire survey was conducted among nursing interns in Fujian Medical University from February 2022 to April 2022 by convenience sampling. The scores of learning engagement, resilience and professional identity were evaluated. The PROCESS Marco in SPSS was used to analyse the mediating effect.

RESULTS

A total of 222 senior nursing students participated in the questionnaire survey. Both learning engagement (r = 0.491, p < 0.01) and resilience (r = 0.537, p < 0.01) correlated positively with PI. Resilience is also positively related to PI (r = 0.693, p < 0.01). Also resilience played a partial mediating role in the relationship between learning engagement and professional identity (a*b = b = 0.2451, 95% CI: 0.1543, 0.3581), and its effect accounted for 53.3%.

Pathways from the clinical learning environment and ego identity to professional identity: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The clinical learning environment and ego identity are positively related to professional identity. However, the pathways from these factors to professional identity are unknown. Aim This study explores the pathways from the clinical learning environment and ego identity to professional identity.

METHODS

The study used a convenience sampling method in a comprehensive hospital in Hunan Province, China to enrol 222 nursing interns between April and May 2021. General information questionnaires and scales with good psychometric properties (e.g., Environment Evaluation Scale for Clinical Nursing Internship, Ego Identity Scale, and Professional Identification Scale) were used to collect data. A structural equation model was used to explore the relationships between the clinical learning environment, ego identity, and professional identity among nursing interns.

RESULTS

The professional identity of nursing interns was positively correlated with the clinical learning environment and ego identity. The clinical learning environment had a direct effect (Effect = -0.052, P < 0.05) and an indirect effect through ego identity (Effect = -0.042, P < 0.05) on nursing interns' professional identity.

CONCLUSION

The clinical learning environment and ego identity are important influencing factors of professional identity among nursing interns. Therefore, clinical teaching hospitals and teachers should pay attention to the improvement in the clinical learning environment and the cultivation of nursing interns' ego identity.

Nursing students' expectations and career preferences before clinical placement in mainland China: A qualitative exploration

AIM

To explore nursing students' expectations and career preferences before their clinical placements.

BACKGROUND

Clinical placement is an important adaptation stage through which nursing students become nurses. Nursing students' expectations of clinical placement are not always met. There is a huge demand-supply gap in the nursing labor force and ensuring successful nursing placements could offset this gap.

DESIGN

This study adopted a descriptive qualitative design.

METHODS

Each participant was interviewed in the weeks before the start of their clinical placement. Interviews were semi-structured and audio recorded. Data were analyzed using Clarke and Braun's thematic analysis.

RESULTS

This study included 25 students (11 males and 14 females; age 20-21 years), which was sufficient to reach data saturation. We identified 138 codes and six themes emerged: a) expectations of role transition; b) expectations of self-enhancement; c) expectations of teaching styles; d) fears and worries; e) preliminary career preferences; and f) motivating and obstacle factors of engaging in a nursing career.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing students had various expectations of their upcoming clinical placements alongside certain worries and fears. More predictive and targeted strategies need to be considered to ensure the success of clinical nursing placements. Further research should explore and verify strategies to meet nursing students' expectations and promote their preference for a nursing career.

Exploring the relationship between lateral violence and nursing professionalism through the mediating effect of professional identity: A cross‐sectional questionnaire study

AIM

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of lateral violence (LV) experienced by nursing students during their internship, explore the difference between professional identity and professionalism among nursing students who had or had not experienced LV and analyse the mediating effect of professional identity on the relationship between LV and professionalism.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey was used.

METHODS

An online anonymous survey was distributed to nursing students (N = 298) in Jiangsu province, China from June to July 2021. The questionnaire consisted of sections on lateral violence, professional identity and nursing professionalism.

RESULTS

Approximately 49.7% of the nursing students experienced LV behaviour during the internship period. Students who experienced LV had lower professional identity and professionalism than those who did not. Among the students, LV was negatively correlated with professional identity (r = -0.333, p < 0.001) and professionalism (r = -0.418, p < 0.001). The relationship effect of LV on nursing professionalism was partly mediated by professional identity.

CONCLUSION

Nearly half of the nursing students suffered from LV in the workplace, and this condition remarkably influenced nursing professionalism through professional identity. Both quantitative and qualitative studies are needed to investigate the factors that influence LV development in detail.

Moral distress, moral courage, and career identity among nurses: A cross-sectional study

Background

The concept of career identity is integral to nursing practices and forms the basis of the nursing professions. Positive career identity is essential for providing high-quality care, optimizing patient outcomes, and enhancing the retention of health professionals. Therefore, there is a need to explore potential influencing variables, thereby developing effective interventions to improve career identity.

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between moral distress, moral courage, and career identity, and explore the mediating role of moral courage between moral distress and career identity among nurses.

Design

A quantitative, cross-sectional study.

Methods

A convenient sample of 800 nurses was recruited from two tertiary care hospitals between February and March 2022. Participants were assessed using the Moral Distress Scale-revised, Nurses’ Moral Courage Scale, and Nursing Career Identity Scale. This study was described in accordance with the STROBE statement.

Ethical consideration

Research ethics approval was obtained from the researcher’s university and hospital where this study was conducted prior to data collection.

Findings

Moral distress is negatively associated while moral courage is positively associated with career identity among nurses. Moral courage partially mediates the relationship between moral distress and career identity ( β = −0.230 to −0.163, p < 0.01).

Discussion

The findings reveal a relationship between moral distress, moral courage, and career identity among nurses.

Conclusion

By paying attention to nurses’ moral distress and courage, healthcare providers can contribute to the development of effective interventions to improve career identity, and subsequently performance, among nurses.

Preservice teachers' teaching internship affects professional identity: Self-efficacy and learning engagement as mediators

Preservice teachers' professional identity is a critical factor in their motivation, effectiveness, and retention. Teaching internship can promote the transformation of professional identity and self-efficacy of preservice teachers. The internship environment also enhances students' increasing level of learning engagement. Although much research has shown strong relationship between preservice teachers' teaching internship and professional identity, less is known about how self-efficacy and learning engagement mediated those variables. The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles that self-efficacy and learning engagement play in the relationship between preservice teachers' professional identities and their teaching internship experiences. The study involved 309 preservice teachers in total, and the variables were measured using questionnaires. For the data analysis, we used structural equation modeling. The study's findings are as follows. (a) Teaching internship, professional identity, self-efficacy, and learning engagement were all significantly correlated with one another. (b) Both self-efficacy and learning engagement partially mediated the relationship between teaching internship and professional identity in a parallel manner. (c) Self-efficacy and learning engagement also sequentially mediated the relationship between teaching internship and professional identity.

The mediating effect of psychological resilience on empathy and professional identity of Chinese nursing students: A structural equation model analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that empathy has a positive impact on the professional identity of nursing students. And developing psychological resilience can improve the professional identity of nursing students. However, studies investigating the mechanism of the relationship between empathy and psychological resilience on professional identity remain few.

PURPOSE

Among Chinese nursing students, we sought to determine whether psychological resilience mediates the association between empathy and professional identity.

METHODS

A total of 495 undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students in a medical university nursing college in Hefei were investigated by demographic data questionnaire, nursing students' empathy scale, nursing students' professional identity questionnaire, and psychological resilience questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the mediating effect of psychological resilience between empathy and the professional identity of nursing students.

RESULTS

The total score of professional identity of nursing students was 57.07 ± 10.38. Psychological resilience (r = 0.316, P < 0.01) and professional identity (r = 0.313, P < 0.01) both had positive correlations with empathy, respectively. Additionally, there was a strong correlation between psychological resilience and professional identity (r = 0.488, P < 0.01). Empathy had an indirect effect on professional identity through psychological resilience, with a direct effect of 0.256 and an indirect effect of 0.145, and the indirect effect accounted for 36.16 % of the total effect.

CONCLUSION

Nursing educators should pay attention to the cultivation of empathy ability and psychological resilience to enhance nursing students' professional identity.

Professional Identity Scale for Male Nursing Students Using the Rasch Model and Latent Regression on Gender and Background Variables

This study developed a professional identity (PI) scale and compared the scores of male and female nursing students. Few studies have focused on male nursing students to understand their PI vis-à-vis related background variables relative to female ones. We recruited 384 male nursing students in Taiwan to construct the PI scale based on the Rasch model with 12 items and 3 factors, namely cognitive, emotional, and behavioural identity. The PI scale showed a good model fit in confirmatory factor analysis, with factor loadings ranging from 0.56 to 0.73. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.72 to 0.79 for the three subscales and 0.88 for the entire scale. The results of the multiple latent regression analyses showed that male nursing students had higher PI in the total scale and its three factors than did female ones. Having mothers with medical or nursing-related jobs may help promote the cognitive PI of male nursing students. Experiences of caring for family members can help promote PI among female nursing students but not among male ones. Future research should focus on decreasing loss in behavioural PI for both genders after graduation and on reinforcing the association between behavioural PI and interest in nursing among male nursing students.

Career Preferences among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sessional Study

Introduction

It is estimated that mores nurses are needed in the future, nursing students’ career preferences are important to contribute the shortage of nursing manpower in Macao. Little is known regarding the preferences for nursing students’ career preferences and related factors among nursing students.

Objective

To explore and investigate the career preferences and related factors among nursing students in Macao.

Methods

A descriptive, cross-sectional survey study design was adopted to assess career preferences and related factors among nursing students in Macao.

Results

In total, 217 nursing students completed surveys. The most favorite career preferences among nursing students were community health nursing, paediatric nursing, medical surgical nursing, and obstetric & gynecological nursing; while the least career preferences among nursing students were oncology and hospice nursing, mental health nursing, and ER nursing. Factors were related to “gender”, “education”, and “nursing is my first study preference” among Macao nursing students for career preferences.

Conclusion

The senior nursing students prefer working in community health nursing and the junior and female nursing students prefer working in pediatric nursing and obstetric and gynecological nursing. The more understandings of nursing students’ career preferences, the better nursing curriculum design and implication to promote nursing students’ intention for working in the least career preferences work.

Student’s Reasons of Choosing the Bachelor Study Program in Nursing

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the reasons why students that attending nursing study program decide to choose this study program for their future. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on students at University of Shkodra “Luigj Gurakuqi” in Albania and University of Pristina “Hasan Prishtina,” in Kosovo, during October–November 2021. The students that participated attended the bachelor study program in nursing and program of professional master. Data collection was done using a questionnaire with closed and opened questions. Student’s opinions were collected through a self-administered online questionnaire. The survey was administered using the Google Forms® platform, performed in classroom and was anonymous. To analyze the sample, it was used the exact Fisher’s Test, Pearson’s correlation R and ꭓ² test. RESULTS: The study included 376 students which 259 from Albania and 117 from Kosovo. 335 were female and 41 males. 195 of students were from urban area and 181 from rural area. 130 students were at the 1st year of studies, 98 at the 2nd year, 100 of 3rd year, and 48 students attend professional master’s degree. About 66% of students have chosen nursing program because it is easy to find a job and 81.6% of students think that by choosing the nursing study program, they can make a career. About 82.2% of students have chosen the nursing study program because they can ensure a satisfactory economic level. More than 77% of students think that finding a job as a nurse is easy and for 75% of students nursing program has been the first choice. About 88.3% of students say they have chosen to continue their studies in nursing because they believe they can be employed after completing their studies in European Union countries. About 97.1% of students chose this program because they feel valuable in helping people with health needs. In our study, we have evidenced that 58.8% of all students would like to work in Germany. CONCLUSIONS: Students choose the bachelor study program in nursing mainly to be able to easily secure a job, for a career, to help people with health problems and to secure an employment in the countries of the European Union. The same reasons evidenced in two student’s group from two universities.

Humanistic caring ability of midwifery students in China and its associated factors: A multi-centre cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Research regarding humanistic caring has proliferated to enable person-centred and holistic care. Empirical evidence investigating the humanistic caring ability is largely derived from studies recruiting general nursing students. Midwifery students, however, remain underrepresented.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the humanistic caring ability of midwifery students in China and investigate its associated factors.

DESIGN

A multi-centre cross-sectional descriptive study.

SETTINGS

Five medical colleges spreading across Eastern, Central and Southern China.

PARTICIPANTS

Secondary vocational, higher vocational and undergraduate midwifery students (N = 303).

METHODS

The Caring Ability Inventory (CAI), the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy for Nursing Students (JSPE-NS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Professional Identity Scale for Nursing Students (PISNS) were used to measure humanistic caring ability, empathy, resilience and professional identity, respectively. Stepwise multiple linear regression was used to explore associated factors.

RESULTS

The midwifery students' total mean CAI score was 184.63 ± 19.88. In the multiple linear regression analysis, empathy (β = 0.394, p < 0.001), resilience (β = 0.233, p < 0.001) and professional identity (β = 0.161, p = 0.002) were positively associated with the humanistic caring ability of midwifery students. The humanistic caring ability was also influenced by educationl level, perceived concern from peers and recognition of caring ability as a prerequisite for midwifery profession.

CONCLUSIONS

Midwifery students in China have poor humanistic caring ability, which needs to be further improved. Interventions that cultivate the empathy, resilience and professional identity have the potential to advance the humanistic caring ability of midwifery students. Promoting a supportive and caring atmosphere among peers is also important.

The Effect of Social Support on Emotional Labor through Professional Identity

Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, we investigate whether and how social support impact emotional labor of live streamers through professional identity. We also explore the boundary conditions by focusing on the moderation effect of emotional intelligence. Based on a sample of 331 live streamers in the content industry, the results show that social support weakens (enhances) live streamers’ surface acting (deep acting) by enhancing their professional identity. Emotional intelligence significantly moderates the professional identity - emotional labor relationship. In addition, we find that emotional intelligence strengthens the negative indirect effect of social support on surface acting through professional identity, but weakens the positive indirect effect of social support and deep acting through professional identity. We also discuss theoretical contribution in emotional labor literature and practical implications for live commerce.

Postpandemic Nursing Education: Moving Forward With New Ideas

BACKGROUND

Since March 2020, the world has faced many new challenges, and both faculty and students have needed to make many adjustments to the typical learning experience. Schools of nursing have reported on many innovative teaching strategies used during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

METHOD

A reflective method was used to propose ideas related to postpandemic nursing education. Consideration was given to ways in which nursing education can be changed in response to lessons learned from the pandemic experience.

RESULTS

Most changes reported relate to the delivery of nursing education. Little has been published about the pandemic experience challenging educators to look more critically at the total academic experience and consider implementing changes that will enhance students' learning; support mental health; strengthen clinical partnerships; and help students internalize an identity as a nurse, scholar, and leader who can deal effectively with change and uncertainty.

CONCLUSION

Nurse educators must think broadly about changes that can be made to achieve these goals. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(12):680-685.].

The clinical practice experience in psychiatric clinic of nursing students and career intention in China: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Nursing students face a lot of complicated situations and problems when they participate in psychiatric clinical practice for the first time. However, the nursing students' internship experience and career intention in psychiatry have not been well described in China.

PURPOSE

This study aims to explore the experience and career intention of Chinese nursing undergraduates during their first psychiatric internship.

METHOD

This is a qualitative design using phenomenological approach. Data were collected through a case-study, semi-structured, two face-to-face in-depth interviews (N = 13) with third-year nursing students from a university in China on their first clinical internship in a psychiatric department. We followed the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist.

RESULTS

Four themes were identified: negative stereotype perceptions about mental illness, professional maturation, personal development, attitude towards psychiatric patients and career choice.

CONCLUSIONS

The experience of nursing students in psychiatric clinical practice was constantly changing. This study indicated that nursing students went through a continuous development process of psychiatric care professional maturation and personal development. However, psychiatric nursing was not an ideal career choice of nursing students. This study provides guidance for educators to optimize the internship experience and take comprehensive measures to improve the professional attractiveness and professional identity of psychiatric nursing.