Nurses' Attitude towards Professionalization and Factors Influencing It

Improving the quality of clinical training in maternal and neonatal health in undergraduate nursing students: a participatory action research

BACKGROUND

Improving the quality of clinical training is synonymous with accomplishing nursing education goals and improving the quality of nursing care. This study aimed to improve the quality of clinical training in Maternal and Neonatal Health (MNH) in nursing students.

METHODS

This action research was conducted in two cycles from June 2017 to June 2018. The study setting was the School of Nursing and Midwifery of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences in southwest Iran. The participants were nursing students, faculty members, clinical trainers, educational managers, and teaching personnel. In the first cycle, semi-structured interviews were held with stakeholders to identify clinical problems and improvement strategies. Based on the results of these sessions, the changes needed to improve the quality of clinical training were planned and implemented. The weaknesses and strengths of the implemented changes were then identified through group discussions with the stakeholders. In the second cycle, a second plan was carried out to correct the weaknesses of the changes planned in the first cycle, and the modifications were implemented and evaluated.

RESULTS

The main three categories extracted included an unsystematic curriculum and inadequate monitoring, inadequate resources and facilities, and the student's lack of motivation. The measures taken for improvement included holding communication workshops, developing and internalizing logbooks, reducing the number of students in clinical training groups, using modern clinical training methods, and changing clinical evaluation methods.

CONCLUSION

Improving communication skills among the students, trainers, and hospital personnel and using modern clinical training methods, such as conceptual maps, triple jumps, and clinical skill centers, are the best strategies for improving clinical training in MNH nursing students.

Professionalism and associated factors among nurses working in Hawassa city public hospital, Sidama, Ethiopia

Background

The foundation of the global healthcare system is nurses, and professionalism in nursing is a basic idea that helps patients, organizations, and people. Studies that have been published in Ethiopia, though, are limited, out-of-date, and poorly documented, especially when it comes to the study setting. Because of this, this study aimed to close a knowledge gap on the level of professionalism in public hospitals in Sidama, Ethiopia.

Objective

This study aimed to assess professionalism and associated factors among nurses working in Hawassa city public hospitals, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Methods

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses working in Hawassa city public hospital from June to July 2022. A computer-generated simple random sampling technique was used to select 413 study participants. The level of professionalism was assessed through a self-administered questionnaire, using the guidelines of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. All the loaded data using Epi-data version 4.6 were exported to a statistical package for social science. An ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to identify the associations between the outcome and predictor variables. The statistical significance of the factors influencing the outcome variable was declared in multivariate logistic regression analysis using an adjusted odds ratio at a 95% confidence interval with a p-value <0.05.

Results

A total of 405 nurses participated in the study, with a response rate of 98%. Of the total participants, more than half were females (55.3%). The level of professionalism was found to a moderate level. There was a strong link between completing their degree in a governmental institution, being part of a professional organization, serving for several years, and having a BSc or above qualification with a moderate level of professionalism.

Conclusion

We found a moderate level of professionalism among nurses working in the study setting. This suggests that the Regional Health Bureau should collaborate with other responsible bodies to develop various opportunities for nursing staff to increase their professionalism. The minister of health should be focused on private college nurses, nurses lacking the association, and the qualification of the profession.

Factors Associated with Nursing Professionalism: Insights from Tertiary Care Center in India

BACKGROUND

Professionalism among nurses plays a critical role in ensuring patient safety and quality care and involves delivering competent, safe, and ethical care while also working with clients, families, communities, and healthcare teams.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To assess the level of nursing professionalism and the factors affecting professionalism among nurses working at a tertiary care center in India.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2022 to March 2023 using a total enumeration sampling technique. Following institutional ethics committee approval, standardized tools were administered consisting of Nursing Professionalism Scale and socio-demographic, personal, and organizational characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 270 nurses participated, with a response rate of 93.7%. The mean age of the participants was 27.33 ± 2.75 years, with the majority being female (82.6%) and belonged to the age group of 23-27 years (59.6%). More than half of the nurses exhibited high professionalism (53%), with the highest and lowest median scores for professional responsibility (29.0) and valuing human beings (13.0) respectively. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that, compared with their counterparts, nurses with a graduate nursing qualification (AOR = 4.77, 95% CI = 1.16-19.68), up-to-date training (AOR = 4.13, 95% CI = 1.88-9.06), and adequate career opportunity (AOR = 33.91, 95% CI = 14.48-79.39) had significant associations with high nursing professionalism.

CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The majority of the nurses had high professionalism, particularly in the domains of professional responsibility and management. Hospitals and healthcare institutions can use these findings to develop policies and prioritize opportunities for nurses to attend conferences and workshops to enhance their professional values, ultimately leading to improved patient care outcomes.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Characteristics of a good nurse as perceived by nurses

BACKGROUND

Nursing is a humanitarian and social field that provides health services. It combines science and art and has a rich history. Despite fundamental changes in the provision of medical services and nursing education, the concept of "good nurse" is still unclear.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this article is to investigate the characteristics of a good nurse from the nurses' perspective.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD

A qualitative study was applied using conventional content analysis. The participants were 30 nurses that selected with purposive sampling method. Data were collected through unstructured interviews and simultaneously analyzed via the conventional content analysis approach of Graneheim and Lundman.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

FINDINGS

The study revealed that personal characteristics (Adherence to ethical and human principles, Physical health, Attractive appearance, and Ability to communicate properly); and professional characteristics (knowledge - clinical skill - nursing roles) are essential to being a good nurse.

CONCLUSION

Coming to know the distinctive features of a good nurse as perceived by nurses themselves creates an opportunity for nurses to rethink their profession and to reflect on the characteristics of the good nurse.

Relationship between Nurses Reflection, Self-efficacy and Work Engagement: A Multicenter Study

Introduction

Reflection is considered an essential element in nurses' practice with different positive outcomes, we decided to determine the level of nurses' reflection and then assess the relationship between nurses' reflection with their self-efficacy and work engagement.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 240 nurses were selected from seven educational hospitals affiliated with Tabriz University of medical sciences (Iran). The stratified random sampling method was used to select the participants from hospitals. Data were collected through three questionnaires including Groningen Reflection Ability Scale (GRAS), Sherer's General Self-Efficacy Scale (SGSES), and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13.

Results

According to the results, the mean (SD) score of nurses' reflection was calculated as 86.51 (8.17) out of 115. The mean (SD) score of nurses' self-efficacy was 60.89 (11.11) out of 85. Moreover, the mean (SD) total score of nurses' work engagement in a possible range of 0 to 6 was 3.39 (1.36). There was a positive and significant relationship between the total reflection score with work engagement and self-efficacy scores.

Conclusion

According to the results, nurses working in different units showed different scores of reflection. Moreover, the results of the present study showed that nurses' reflection is associated with nurses' work engagement and self-efficacy. Therefore, nurse managers and nurse educators should improve nurses' skills in reflection and they should support the reflective practice in clinical settings.

Nursing undergraduates' media competence in the context of health communication and its relationship to professionalism

AIMS

To investigate the association between professionalism and social media competence among Chinese mainland nursing undergraduates.

DESIGN

This study employed a cross-sectional descriptive correlation design.

PARTICIPANTS

From June to July 2021, 797 nursing students from four nursing colleges in Jiangsu Province, China, were chosen using stratified cluster sampling.

METHODS

The questionnaire included the Chinese version of the Nursing Professionalism Scale and the Social Media Competency Scale. The association between professionalism and social media competency was examined using Pearson's correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The professionalism of nursing undergraduates (average scores:70.44 ± 8.82) was at a medium level. Social media self-efficacy, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions and social influence (3.76 ± 0.75, 3.87 ± 0.60, 3.53 ± 0.69, 3.41 ± 0.76) were at a medium-high level, while social media experience and effort expectancy (3.03 ± 0.72, 2.60 ± 0.59) were at medium and low levels. Among nursing undergraduates, professionalism was related to social media competence, among which, professionalism was positively correlated with social media self-efficacy (r = 0.40, p < 0.01), social media experience (r = 0.50, p < 0.01), performance expectancy (r = 0.34, p < 0.01), facilitating conditions (r = 0.41, p < 0.01), but negatively correlated with effort expectancy (r = -0.10, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The professionalism of nursing undergraduates is related to social media. The scores of social media self-efficacy, social media experience, performance expectancy and facilitating conditions of nursing students with high professionalism were higher than those of nursing students with low professionalism.

IMPACT

This study suggests that developing a course on health communication on social media can help nursing students improve their professionalism.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Participants completed a survey via the online survey platform Wenjuangxing.

Effectiveness of health communication courses on professionalism and social media competence among nursing students: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The shaping and cultivation of professionalism of nursing students is very important for the improvement and retention of nursing workers' quality. In the context of social media, it is challenging for nursing students to use social media for health education. Health communication course has the potential to cultivate professionalism and social media competence of nursing students, but its role still needs to be explored.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of health communication course intervention on improving the professionalism and social media competence of nursing students.

DESIGN

A randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

The recruited nursing students were randomly divided into the intervention group (N = 50) and the control group (N = 51). The control group received routine nursing education. Intervention group received routine nursing education and health communication education courses. Both groups were required to submit a health communication work on any topic. The Nursing Professionalism Scale、Social Media Self-efficacy Scale and Social Media Experience Scale were used to evaluate the professionalism and social media competence of nursing students. The primary analysis used linear mixed models and followed the intention-to-treat principle.

RESULTS

The professionalism, social media self-efficacy and social media experience of students in the two groups were significantly improved, and the improvement of nursing students in the intervention group was higher than that in the control group. After the intervention of health communication course, there were significant differences in professionalism (p < 0.001), social media self-efficacy (p = 0.006) and social media experience (p = 0.013) between the two groups. Social media self-efficacy have an effect on professionalism (ꞵ = 0.22, p < 0.001, 95 % CI 0.17-0.26).

CONCLUSION

The health communication course significantly improved social media competence and professionalism, which was significantly different from the control group, revealing the educational value of the intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2200058425.

Level of Professionalism and Associated Factors Among Nurses Working in South Wollo Zone Public Hospitals, Northeastern Ethiopia, 2022

Introduction

Nurses are the frontline force for patient care, and nursing professionalism is a key tool for quality of care. Nursing professionalism and its characteristics should be defined in accordance with the current system.

Objective

To determine the level of professionalism in nursing and its associated factors in the South Wollo Public Hospital, Northeast Ethiopia.

Methods

A multicenter hospital-based cross-sectional study design was used in South Wollo Zone Public Hospitals from March to April 2022, with 357 nurses selected using a simple random sampling method. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire, then entered and analyzed using EpiData 4.7 and SPSS 26. Finally, predictors of nursing professionalism were identified using a multivariate logistic regression.

Result

Of the 350 respondents, 179 (51.1%) were women and 171 (48.9%) were men, with 68.6% displaying high levels of professionalism. Being women (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.93, 95% CI [1.718, 5.000]), having a positive self-image (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI [1.421, 6.205]), having a good organizational culture (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI [1.587, 6.302]), being a member of the nursing association (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI [1.137, 3.367]), and nurses who were satisfied with their job were significantly associated with nursing professionalism.

Conclusion

In this study, the level of nursing professionalism was encouraging but needed more effort. Furthermore, sex, self-image, organizational culture, nursing association membership, and job satisfaction were positive predictors of nursing professionalism. As a result, hospital administrations consider factors that maintain a pleasant institutional working environment to foster a positive self-image and increase job satisfaction.

Predictors of attitudes towards nursing profession and peer caring behaviors of the nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Professionalization in nursing is interconnected with the acceptance and encouragement of professional role model manners and caring approaches among the nursing students.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the predictors of attitudes towards nursing profession and peer caring behaviors of the nursing students.

DESIGN

A single-centered, observational, cross-sectional study.

SETTINGS

A university's faculty of health sciences nursing department in Ankara, Turkey.

PARTICIPANTS

The population of the study comprised of second and fourth year nursing students (N = 470). The study was completed with 390 students.

METHODS

The data were collected via a questionnaire, the Attitude Scale for Nursing Profession (ASNP), and the Peer Caring Measurement (PCM) between September and October 2019. Univariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to predict the data (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

The mean age of the students was 20.41 (SD = 1.34) and 85.1 % of them were female. The total ASNP mean score was found 160.10 (SD = 15.59). The mean score of the ASNP were higher in females, those whose income was equal or more than expense, those who preferred nursing school willingly, studying nursing pleasantly, those who were eager to work as a nurse, and those who planned to advance in nursing career. The total PCM mean score was 42.10 (SD = 10.45). It was higher in second year students, those whose income was equal or more than expense, and those who planned to advance in nursing career. There was a positively moderate correlation between the ASNP and the PCM total scores (r = 0.314, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Attitudes of the nursing students towards profession and their peer caring behaviors were highly positive. Improving the attitudes of the nursing students towards the profession via enhancing their peer caring behaviors, novel approaches, such as internship and mentorship, should be implemented into the nursing education.

Relation between socio-demographic factors and professionalism among nurses in Saudi Arabia: A comparative analysis

Background

Analyzing how nurses handle professionalism in their careers will help all concerned individuals identify areas of concern to develop and enhance further to achieve or maintain a high degree of professionalism.

Objective

This study aimed to determine the level of professionalism among nurses and its differences according to socio-demographic characteristics.

Methods

A quantitative cross-sectional approach was utilized in three significant regions of Saudi Arabia. A simple random sampling technique was employed with 305 respondents, resulting in a 95.9% response rate. A Google Form survey was used to collect the data between January and April 2021.

Results

Nurses perceived themselves highly in professional organization (Mean = 3.94, SD = 0.17), belief in public service (Mean = 3.91, SD = 0.22), belief in self-regulation (Mean = 3.97, SD = 0.08), sense of calling (Mean = 4.01, SD = 0.13), and belief in autonomy (Mean = 3.71, SD = 0.15). There was no significant difference between gender and professional organization, belief in public service, self-regulation, or belief in autonomy. Still, there was a significant difference in belief in public service (t = 2.794; p = 0.006) and sense of calling (t = 4.290; p = 0.001). As to age, only belief in self-regulation was significant (t = 5.984; p = 0.003). Moreover, the educational qualifications reached an insignificant difference in professionalism. Conversely, the type of facility has been found to have reached significant differences with a professional organization (F = 3.057; p = 0.029), belief in public service (F = 4.130; p = 0.007), beliefs in regulation (F = 3.452; p = 0.017), sense of calling (F = 3.211; p = 0.023), and belief in autonomy (F = 5.995; p = 0.001). Lastly, the current position found no significant difference in professionalism.

Conclusion

Nurses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia perceived themselves as highly professional, and male nurses were found to have a sense of calling more than their female counterparts. Age, educational qualification, and current position had no significant difference in professionalism. Conversely, the type of facility had a significant difference with the belief in autonomy. These findings support and sustain the role of nurses in this 21st-century health care that is significantly needed to provide the most quality care.

Comparing the Relationship between Iranian Clinical Educators' Teaching Behaviors and Undergraduate Nursing Students' Professional Behaviors

Background

The effectiveness and efficacy of teaching behaviors by clinical educators need to be determined and applied in caring environments, wherein students' seminal Professional Behaviors (PBs) are being shaped. Here, we endeavor to compare the relationship between Iranian clinical educators' teaching behaviors and undergraduate nursing students' PBs.

Materials and Methods

This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 189 students enrolled in the second, third, and fourth academic years at Urmia University of Medical Science in 2019. The instruments were the Nursing Students' PBs Scale (NSPBS) and the Nursing Clinical Teacher Effectiveness Inventory (NCTEI). Data were analyzed by Pearson correlations test and linear regression model.

Results

A significant positive correlation between the NSPB and NCTE in the fourth year (r = 0.42, p = 0.001) was about twice as much as the second (r = 0.28, p = 0.017) and third ones (r = 0.28, p = 0.033). Nursing competency, teaching skills, and communication domains were respectively the most effective ones related to the second- (r = 0.35, p = 0.003), third- (r = 0.32, p = 0.015), and fourth-year NSPBs (r = 0.46, p < 0.001). Teaching skills and nursing competency domains had the lowest significant relationships with the second- (r = 0.25, p = 0.034) third- (r = 0.30, p = 0.023) and fourth-year NSPBs (r = 0.35, p = 0,006), respectively.

Conclusions

The comparison between the two mentioned variables in the academic year can provide appropriate information about potential problems of clinical education to develop clinical facilitation models.

Nurses' attitudes towards the nursing profession and associated factors in selected public hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2021: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Unfavorable attitude toward nursing profession remaining the global issue across in the various level of health institutions attitude is the most important concept in nursing. Because of high ambiguity and role conflict in the profession.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore nurses' attitudes toward their profession and associated factors in selected public hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2021.

METHODOLOGY

Institutional based quantitative cross- sectional study design was conducted in five randomly selected public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from May to April 2021. Systematic random sampling method was used to select sample of 357 nurses working in selected hospitals. Data were collected using standard self-administer questionnaire and the collected data were entered and analyzed by using SPSS 25version. Descriptive, Bi-variate and multiple logistic regression analysis were computed to describe the association between attitude of nurses and independent variables that show P-values ≤0.05 with 95% Confidence Interval consider statistically significant factors for attitude toward professionalism.

RESULTS

A total of 348 nurses were participated in the study, with 97.5% response rate. From this 60.6% (n = 211) of study participants were female nurses. Only 46% of nurses in Addis Ababa city public hospitals had favorable attitude towards their profession. Experienced nurses [(AOR: 1.19; 95% CI: 0.625, 13.37)], had good managerial support [(AOR: 2.40; 95% CI: 0.197, 26.702)], had ethical related training [(AOR: 1.50; 95% CI: 0.35, 6.407)], had positive image toward nursing profession [(AOR: 2.32; 95% CI: 0.166, 34.950)], who believe in our community had positive image toward nursing profession [(AOR: 4.73; 95% CI: 2.136, 88.109)] were positively associated with the overall nurses' attitude toward their profession.

CONCLUSION

This study offers an interesting insight about nurses' image toward their profession and associated factors in Addis Ababa city. The overall attitude of nurses in Addis Ababa city public hospitals toward their profession was falls below the average level. Given the importance of the attitude in nursing and various factors, efforts are directed to achieve the desired level and reducing the barriers.

Undergraduate nursing students' self-reported professional behaviour at the University of Namibia

Background

Development of professional behaviour in nursing students is an important part of a nurse’s overall competence. Self-evaluation is one way of measuring professional behaviour amongst nursing students. However, studies on self-reported professional behaviour of nursing students are limited in Namibia.

Aim

This study aimed to investigate nursing students’ self-reported professional behaviour at the University of Namibia.

Setting

The setting was a university campus offering a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree in Namibia.

Methods

A quantitative descriptive contextual design was used with 100 nursing students. Data were analysed descriptively using a non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis and ANOVA tests of variance and statistical significance.

Results

High mean scores were found in the areas of utilising evidence-based solutions (4.78 ± 0.58), promoting clinical teaching (4.46 ± 0.94), willingness to implement quality improvement initiatives (4.34 ± 0.518), and protecting health, safety and patient’s rights (4.28 ± 0.55). The lowest mean scores were recorded in projecting professional image (2.22 ± 1.27), rendering evidence-based care (4.08 ± 0.44). The study found statistical significance difference between self-reported professional competency (p = 0.01) and quality care improvements (p = 0.02).

Conclusion

In this study, nursing students’ self-reported professional behaviour was rated high (mean scores > 4.0 out of 5). Despite this high rating, it cannot be concluded that the students were professionally competent. We recommend that professional behaviour be measured from both students’ and nurse educators’ or patients’ perspectives.

Contribution

The findings from this study provide supplementary evidence on self-reported professional behaviour with implications on nursing education and practice.

Relation between Halls' Professionalism Scale and nurses' demographic characteristics

OBJECTIVE

Nursing Professionalism was measured by Hall's Professionalism Scale, consisting of 50 items. The scale was developed to measure the attitudes and ideologies held by professionals in various professional occupations by measuring five attitudinal constructs of professionalism, namely 'sense of calling to the field', 'autonomy', 'using a professional organisation as a major referent', 'belief in self-regulation', and 'belief in public service'. This study focussed on determining the practically significant differences that exist between the means of the five constructs of Hall's Professionalism Scale and certain demographic variables among nurses in South Africa. The 11-item demographic profile included the following variables: gender (1), age (2), age when becoming a professional nurse (3), undergraduate qualifications (4), marital status (5), number of children (6), employment sector (7), years' of nursing experience (8), international experience (9), employment status (10) and satisfaction with nursing as a career (11).

RESULTS

Only (7/11) demographic profile variables had an association with one or more of the five Hall's Professionalism Scale constructs The variables included the following items: age (2), age when becoming a professional nurse (3), number of children (6), years of nursing experience (8), international experience (9), employment status (10), and satisfaction with nursing as a career (11).

Developing a Professionalism Manual for Nurse Managers to Improve Their Perception Regarding Professionalism and Professional Identity

Background

Developing a professional identity is rooted in the dimensions of professionalism and professional development. Moreover, the need for teaching professionalism has a mutual relationship with the formation of a desirable professional identity.

Aim

The current study aimed at developing a professionalism manual for the nurse managers to improve their perception regarding professionalism and professional identity.

Design

Quasi-experimental research design with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up was used.

Setting

The study was conducted at two different hospitals; Menoufia University hospital and Al-helal Insurance hospital, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt.

Subjects

The participants included all nurse managers at different levels from the two different hospitals (n =100).

Tools:tool 1: Professionalism Questionnaire and tool 2: Professional Identity Assessment Questionnaire were used to collect data.

Results

there was a statistically significant improvement in professionalism perception and professional identity level immediately after administering the professionalism manual and after three months in the follow-up phase than the pre-test phase. Additionally, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between two variables of the study at the post and follow-up phases, but not significant at the pre-test phase.

Conclusion

the professionalism manual was effective in improving nurse managers’ perceptions regarding professionalism and professional identity.

Recommendations: Incorporate the attributes of professionalism that were included in the professionalism manual as a guide for the performance review processes of nurses.

Psychometric analysis of the Nurses' Professional Values Scale-3 Arabic version among student nurses

AIMS

We sought to establish the psychometric properties of the Nurses' Professional Values Scale-3 Arabic version among student nurses.

BACKGROUND

Nurses' professional values are central in the nursing profession; it encompasses principles such as respecting people rights and dignity, compassion, and caring without prejudice.

INTRODUCTION

The professional values of student nurses, most specifically in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, can hardly be studied due of the lack of a valid and reliable measure that is linguistically and culturally acceptable.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, we came up with the Arabic version of the tool and tested its psychometric properties among 350 student nurses from two universities in Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

The principal component analysis revealed three distinct factors with eigenvalues above 1.00 and with an explained variance of 70.5%. The computed Cronbach's alpha of the tool was 0.967, while 0.964, 0.960, and 0.886 were computed for activism, caring, and professionalism, respectively. The test-retest scores (n = 85) revealed an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of 0.827 for the entire scale, 0.826 for the subscale activism, 0.792 for caring, and 0.870 for professionalism.

CONCLUSIONS

The Nurses' Professional Values Scale-3 Arabic version had sound psychometric properties when used among Saudi student nurses.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING

The tool can provide an accurate assessment of the professional values of Saudi nursing students and other Arabic-speaking student nurses.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING POLICY

The tool can be utilized by nursing and nursing education policymakers in Saudi Arabia and in other Arab countries in guiding the creation of practice and education policies that gears towards improving nurses' professional values in this part of the world.

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of Instrument of Professional Attitude for Student Nurses (IPASN)

Aim

To evaluate nursing students’ professionalism attitude, it is necessary to use a validated and reliable instrument.

Design

This study aimed to develop the Persian version of the eight‐dimensional professionalism attitude questionnaire for student nurses (Instrument of Professional Attitude for Student Nurses).

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study during March to April 2017, after being translated into Persian and receiving experts’ comments face, content, and construct validity of the questionnaire were sought among nursing students. Internal consistency reliability was examined by estimating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and stability was estimated by calculating intraclass correlation coefficinet.

Results

A total of 750 students with an average age of 24.15 (SD = 1.32) years participated in the study. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the construct of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the entire instrument was 0.89 and more than 0.70 for all dimensions.

Also the intraclass correlation coefficient for the questionnaire was found to be 0.92, well above acceptable threshold. The findings approved that the Iranian version of Instrument of Professional Attitude for Student Nurses is a reliable and valid questionnaire. Hence, using this questionnaire to conduct studies is recommended.

Developing and validating the Japanese version of professional attitude scale for nurses

Aim

We developed and psychometrically tested the Japanese version of the Professional Attitude Scale for Nurses (PASN‐J).

Background

Nurses must recognize the importance of their professionalism; therefore, it is critical to quantitatively measure nurses’ professional attitudes.

Introduction

This instrument validation study was designed to generate an itemized scale and examine its content validity/psychometric testing using a sample of Japanese nurses.

Methods

Based on a trait approach focusing on the characteristic traits of the nursing profession, a 59‐item draft scale was generated. During November 2017, 2657 nurses from 29 facilities in Japan were surveyed. The questionnaire included demographics, the 59‐item draft scale, and a self‐report scale of nurses’ professional behaviour and nursing practice ability. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we evaluated the construct, criterion‐related, concurrent, and known‐groups validity, and reliability of the PASN‐J.

Results

Data from 1716 participants were analysed. The analyses yielded a 38‐item, 3‐factor scale that adequately fit the data. PASN‐J scores were positively correlated with nurses’ professional behaviour and nursing practice ability.

Conclusion

The 38‐item PASN‐J has good reliability and validity, making it useful for measuring the current condition of nursing professionalism and evaluating nursing education. Implications for Nursing and Health Policy: This scale can evaluate nursing education and promote nurses’ professionalism. The PASN‐J will help identifying the elements of undergraduate nursing education that require further emphasis. Additionally, the PASN‐J could facilitate the development of nursing policies to promote professional development in nurses. Ultimately, evaluating nursing education with the PASN‐J enhances nurses’ professional attitudes and subsequently improves their quality of nursing, nursing efficiency and patient outcomes.

Medical professionalism in ophthalmology: design and testing of a scenario based survey

BACKGROUND

Professionalism is hard to quantify but essential in medical practice. We present a survey tool for ophthalmologists that assessed professionalism using case-based scenarios in central Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

Ophthalmologists (resident, fellows and consultants) participated in a web-based survey in 2015. Out of 44 attributes related to professionalism, experts selected 32 attributes with validity indices of ≥0.80. To evaluate these attributes, 51 scenario-based questions were developed and included in the survey. For each attribute, participants were given choices of close ended responses: unacceptable (1), probably unacceptable (2), acceptable (3), probably acceptable (4). The attribute score was compared to the gold standard (responses of an expert group). An attribute score was generated and compared among subgroups.

RESULTS

Of the 155 ophthalmologists, responses of 147 ophthalmologists who completed more than 50% of questions were reviewed. Their mean attribute score was 84.1 ± 10.1 (Median 87.1; 25% quartile 78.1; minimum 50; and maximum 100). The variation in attribute score among consultants, fellows and resident ophthalmologists was significant (P = 0.008). The variation of attribute score by groups of attributes was also significant (P < 0.05). The score for 'Personal characteristics' was on a lower scale compared to that of other attribute groups. The variation in the scores for attribute groups; 'Personal characteristics attribute' group (p < 0.01) and 'Workplace practices & relationship' group (P = 0.03) for consultants, fellows and residents were significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Professionalism among ophthalmologists and those in training was high and influenced by years of experience. The survey tool appeared to show differences in responses to specific professional attribute groups between trainees and consultants. Additional studies with a larger sample size might be helpful in validating the survey as a tool to be used to assess professionalism in graduate medical education in ophthalmology.