Professional values gained in postgraduate nursing education from the perspectives of master's and doctorate graduates: A mixed-methods study

AIM

To determine the professional values of graduates of master's and doctoral programs in nursing and their views on the contribution of postgraduate education to their professional values.

BACKGROUND

In postgraduate education, which is an important catalyst of professional identity development, a professional is expected to specialize in a field, get into more depth professionally, internalize professional values, and reflect and strengthen these values. To shed light on this expectation, more information is needed to assess the impact of postgraduate education on professional values.

METHODS

A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. Data were collected for the quantitative part of the study for 385 graduates of postgraduate nursing education programs in Turkey who were selected using the snowball sampling method, while the maximum variation sampling method was used to collect data from 12 individuals for the qualitative part of the study. The Nurses Professional Values Scale (NPVS) and a Semi-Structured Interview Form were used to collect data in October-December 2022. The quantitative data obtained in the study were analyzed using the SPSS software, and the qualitative data were analyzed using the MAXQDA software.

RESULTS

The mean total NPVS score of the participants was 130.32 ± 21.34 (possible range: 31-155). Among all dimensions, the highest mean score of the participants was in the caring dimension, followed by professionalism and activism. There were significant differences in the NPVS total and subscale scores of the participants based on their views on the contributions of age, institution where they worked, marital status, position at work, and postgraduate education to the acquisition of professional values. In the qualitative dimension of the study, two main themes were identified. One of these themes was the theme of professional values in postgraduate nursing education that covered the categories of professional values gained through postgraduate education, professional values that a nurse who has completed postgraduate education should have, and professional values in postgraduate nursing education. The second theme was the theme named recommendations for providing nurses with professional values through postgraduate education. The integration of data from both components indicated that the qualitative interviews enriched the quantitative findings.

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that postgraduate nursing education programs contribute greatly to the professional values of graduates and strengthen their professional values.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

For the future of nursing, increasing professional strengths and visibility is significantly associated with professional values. This situation requires nurses with strong professional values. Graduate education programs in nursing should be developed in this direction and focus on development of professional values.

Construction of an evaluation index system for undergraduate nursing teachers' curriculum humanistic competence: a Delphi study in China

BACKGROUND

The curriculum humanistic competence of nursing teachers is important to cultivate the humanistic qualities of undergraduate nursing students. However, there are no evaluation tools for the curriculum humanistic competence of undergraduate nursing teachers in China.

OBJECTIVE

To develop an index system to evaluate the curriculum humanistic competence of undergraduate nursing teachers.

DESIGN

This research conducted a Delphi study.

PARTICIPANTS

Semi-structured interviews were held with 19 experts, and Delphi rounds were conducted with 18 experts.

SETTINGS

This study was conducted in 12 universities and 4 Grade A tertiary hospitals in China.

METHODS

A literature review and semi-structured interviews were conducted to develop an initial framework. A two-round Delphi survey was employed to build the index system for undergraduate nursing teachers' curriculum humanistic competence.

RESULTS

After two rounds of consultation, the index system included 5 first-level indicators, 11 second-level indicators and 41 third-level indicators. The Cr for two rounds of consultation were 0.929 and 0.923, and Kendall's W was 0.152(P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The index system for the evaluation of undergraduate nursing teachers' curriculum humanistic competence offers guidelines for undergraduate nursing teachers in China. It can be used in practice to develop high humanistic qualities in undergraduate nursing teachers.

Factors affecting nurses' professional values: A comprehensive integrative review

OBJECTIVES

Values should inform the care every nurse provides. Professional values equally affect patient care and organizational outcomes. In addition, they aid in forming a basis for moral judgments. The aim of this review is to elucidate the whole spectrum of factors affecting the development of nurses' professional values.

DESIGN

An integrative review approach was chosen.

DATA SOURCE

The review included searches in four databases - MEDLINE Complete, CINAHL Plus, ERIC, and Scopus - from January 2015 to November 2021, 572 articles were screened resulting in 35 quantitative and qualitative articles that met the inclusion criteria and passed the critical appraisal.

RESULT

Five major themes and subthemes emerged from the review: Individual determinants was the first theme. Education was the second theme. Experience was the third theme. The fourth theme was nurses' values perceptions. The final theme dealt with the impact of role models.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the power of nursing values as an effective influencer of nursing practice is important because nurses' values can ensure high-quality care and strengthen the professional brand.

Caring Ability and Professional Values of Polish Nursing Students-A Cross-Sectional Study

Caring ability and professional values developed and shaped during nursing university studies are often recognised as fundamental components of education and professional nursing attitudes. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between caring ability and professional values among nursing students and their correlation with selected sociodemographic variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of 379 nursing students. During the research, the Polish versions of the Caring Ability Inventory and the Professional Values Scale were used. The overall result in the Professional Values Scale was 108.78 (SD = 16.17)-which is considered average, and in the Caring Ability Inventory 189.55 (SD = 18.77)-which is considered low. Age correlated negatively with the professional values of students in total and in the subscale "care"; in contrast, "gender", "place of residence" and "financial situation" did not show any correlation with the level of students' professional values and caring ability. The professional values and caring abilities of nursing students depended on the year and mode of study and the type of university. The results of the study revealed that the caring ability and professional values of nursing students undergo changes during their education.

The relationship between moral sensitivity and professional values and ethical decision-making in nursing students

BACKGROUND

More researchers have paid attention to the ethical decision-making in nursing worldwidely due to the increasing complexity of ethical issues and dilemmas. Ethical decision-making ability is regarded as one of the core competences of nursing practice and has the potential to resolve ethical issues. It is important to identify the key variables related to ethical decision-making and understand their relationship between them respectively. It is also helpful to design interventions to promote nursing students' ability to resolve ethical dilemmas.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the relationship between moral sensitivity, professional values and ethical decision-making respectively, and to explore whether professional values have mediating effect on the relationship between moral sensitivity and ethical decision-making among nursing undergraduates in Chinese nursing education context.

DESIGN

This study is a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design.

METHODS

263 nursing undergraduates from Nursing and Health School, Zhengzhou University in Henan province of China participated in the study and received the investigation. Their ethical decision-making, moral sensitivity and professional values were measured through the following three questionnaires, including the Judgement About Nursing Decision (JAND), Chinese Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised Version (MSQ-R-CV) and Chinese Nurses' Professional Values Scale-Revised Version (NPVS-R-CV). The data were processed and analysed by SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 24.0. The statistical methods included descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analyses and structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Moral sensitivity is positively correlated with ethical decision-making (P < 0.01). Professional values is positively correlated with ethical decision-making (P < 0.01) and also has a mediating effect on the relationship between moral sensitivity and ethical decision-making (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The investigation contributes to a broader understanding of the factors that influence nursing students' ethical decision-making. Developing ethics education around nursing students' professional values and moral sensitivity can improve their ethical decision-making ability.

Countries' cultures and professional nursing values: Cross-cultural evidence from Spanish and Colombian nursing students

This study aimed to identify countries' cultural values associated with the importance given to certain professional nursing values by nursing students from Spain and Colombia. Weis and Schank's Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) in its Spanish version and the Hofstede cultural classification were used for this purpose. The sample was composed of 880 nursing students. Nursing students from both countries showed a greater importance for professional nursing values compared to evidence from other countries. Significant differences were also found in the total score, dimensions, and items, always being higher for Colombian students. Based on regression results, the impact that the academic year had on the importance given to NPVS-R is non-linear (U-inverted). Both groups of students gave the highest importance to the same group of items. Those showing the largest difference in the rankings were associated with country culture differences based on the scores identified by Hofstede. Colombian and Spanish societies present similarities in Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance, as well as differences in the other cultural dimensions.

Personal values among undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Personal values influence nursing students' development of professional values, which affect professional outcomes, and how nursing students react to different situations. Personal values can be shaped by different factors, including culture, gender, and age.

AIMS

To explore personal values held by nursing students, and to verify if and how gender and year of study affect nursing students' personal values.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A multicenter, cross-sectional study was used.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

The whole population of nursing undergraduate students available at the time was recruited from eight centers of two Universities, composing a sample of 947 students. Demographic data were collected and it was administered the Portrait Values Questionnaire.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Boards of the University of the participating centers.

FINDINGS

The study sample was mainly composed of young (92.6%, n = 877), female (77.3%, n = 732), Italian (95.8%, n = 907), and unmarried (98.6%, n = 934) nursing students. The most important value for nursing students, consistently through the years of nursing school, was Self-transcendence, which has the motivational emphasis on helping others and selflessness. Then, we found that male students had higher levels of Power (p < 0.001) and Achievement (p = 0.031), while female students outscored male students in Benevolence (p = 0.005) and Security (p = 0.006). Year of study showed no statistically significant difference.

DISCUSSION

Nursing students express high levels in hetero-directed values. Male nursing students, although they choose a stereotypically feminine profession, outscored females in stereotypical masculine values such as dominance and success. This is the first study that describes the personal value profile of undergraduate nursing students, according to the Theory of Basic Human Values, and it is a starting point for future research.

CONCLUSION

Nursing educators might want to consider the findings from this study while guiding students in developing awareness for their personal values.

The Perceptions of Professional Values among Students at a Spanish Nursing School

(1) Background: This study aims to reflect student nurses' perceptions of professional values across the four training years. (2) Methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study; data were collected using the Nurses' Professional Values Scale-Revised, adapted by Basurto-Hoyuelos. A total of 315 student nurses participated from a Nursing Faculty in Spain representing each of the four academic years. (3) Results: Students' perceptions of professional values were significantly correlated with their academic year. Overall, students' scores were higher in the ethics dimension. The two highest scores were for Maintain patient confidentiality for years 1 and 2 (4.77 and 4.68, respectively) and Safeguard patients' right to privacy for years 3 and 4 (4.95 and 4.98, respectively). Lower scores were observed in the professional expertise dimension across all years, and corresponded to a single item Participate in peer review (3.51, 3.38, 3.98, and 3.26, respectively). (4) Conclusions: This study is relevant as it highlights how nursing students' perceptions of professional values change overtime, even during the four years of their training. The ethics dimension was the most highly regarded across all academic years. However, the professional expertise dimension requires greater attention throughout the degree as students regarded it as less important for their immediate future.

Differences in professional values between nurses and nursing students: a gender perspective

AIM

To compare Spanish nursing students' and registered nurses' perception of professional values from the perspective of gender and professional experience.

BACKGROUND

Nursing has traditionally been a female profession; however, the analysis of professional nursing values from a gender perspective has received little attention. The integration of professional values typically begins during academic life and is, thereafter, reinforced during professional activities.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 159 students (97.4% females) and 386 registered nurses (86.8% females) from primary healthcare centres, hospitals and management positions within the public health system. The validated Spanish adaptation of the Nurses Professional Values Scale was used. This instrument measures three dimensions: ethics, commitment and professional mastery. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data, together with bivariate analysis using the chi-squared test.

RESULTS

Females granted more importance to professional values. Important gender differences among students were detected. Ethical values were considered to be the most important for both students and nurses, followed by professional mastery and commitment. The importance given to values progressively decreased in the groups under study: students, less-experienced nurses and expert nurses (in decreasing order).

CONCLUSIONS

Significant gender differences exist with regard to professional nursing values. The values related to professional commitment and mastery should be integrated and promoted during academic education and specifically focus on male students' perceptions. As professional experience increases, the importance attributed to professional values decreases.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY

Professional nursing values should be promoted among universities, health services and professional organizations, encouraging their dissemination, implementation and evaluation.

The development of the Professional Values Model in Nursing

One of the most important criteria for professionalism is accumulation of knowledge that is usable in professional practice. Nursing models and theories are important elements of accumulating nursing knowledge and have a chance to guarantee the ethical professional practice. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of models in nursing research and newly created terminology has started to be used in nursing. In this study, a new model, termed as the Professional Values Model, developed by the authors was described. Concepts comprising the conceptual framework of the model and relations between the concepts were explained. It is assumed that awareness about concepts of the model will increase not only the patients’ satisfaction with nursing care, but also the nurses’ job satisfaction and quality of nursing care. Contemporary literature has been reviewed and synthesized to develop this theoretical paper on the Professional Values Model in nursing. Having high values in nursing increases job satisfaction, which results in the improvement of patient care and satisfaction. Also, individual characteristics are effective in the determination of individual needs, priorities, and values. This relation, proved through research about the Professional Values Model, has been explained. With development of these concepts, individuals’ satisfaction with care and nurses’ job satisfaction will be enhanced, which will increase the quality of nursing care. Most importantly, nurses can take proper decisions about ethical dilemmas and take ethical action when they take these values into consideration when giving care. The Professional Values Model seems suitable for nurse managers and it is expected that testing will improve it. Implementation of the Professional Values Model by nurse managers may increase motivation of nurses they work with. It is suggested that guidance by the Professional Values Model may help in enhancement of motivation efforts of the nurse managers and therefore should be taken into account.

Nurses', nursing students', and nursing instructors' perceptions of professional values: A comparative study

BACKGROUND

In order to prove their commitment to the nursing profession, nurses need to base their professional activities on certain acknowledged values. Although a large number of studies have addressed professional values in nursing, only a few studies are available on the identification and comparison of nurses', nursing students', and nursing instructors' understanding of such values.

OBJECTIVE

The study aims to compare nurses', nursing students', and nursing instructors' perception of nursing professional values.

RESEARCH DESIGN

In this descriptive-comparative study, data were collected using Weis and Schank's Nurses' Professional Values Scale-Revised. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software (v 22).

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

A total of 299 nurses, 341 nursing students, and 100 nursing instructors from multisite, 20 different wards from 3 university hospitals and associated nursing schools located in the cities of Shiraz, Fasa, and Jahrom in Fars province, participated in 2016.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The Institutional Review Board of the researchers' primary university has verified that the study complies with research ethics.

FINDINGS

The total mean scores of the nurses', nursing students', and nursing instructors' perception were found to be 4.23 (0.44), 3.92 (0.50), and 4.34 (0.35), respectively, in the domain of justice-this domain was the subjects' top priority-and 3.40 (0.56), 3.29 (0.49), and 3.55 (0.36), respectively, in the domain of activism-this domain was attached the least importance by the subjects. There were significant differences across the three groups' perception in all of the dimensions of professional values ( p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

The three study groups' overall mean scores fall within the range of relatively important or important. Several studies show the same results, but there are still controversies in this regard.

CONCLUSION

There is need for plans to increase nurses' awareness of certain professional duties and improve their professional performance in all areas alongside their care duties.