Abstract

The main objective was to measure the professional identity of nurses and to evaluate the ways to measure and develop the Nurse’s Professional Identity Scale (NPIS) as perceived by Saudi student nurses. The study employed a quantitative research design to assess the measurement scale of Nurse’s Professional Identity. Data collection was done through a questionnaire from 442 student nurses, who have been recruited through a randomized sampling approach. A factor analysis identified five-factor dimensions within a multi-dimensional structure of 45 items. Factor 1 has been identified as the most important factor on self-presentation as most significant and important to the technique of constructing and forming a professional identity. Factor 2 has accounted for 5.62; Factor 3 has accounted for 5.14; Factor 4 has accounted for 4.29; and Factor 5 has accounted for 4.25. Factor 1 consisted of 16 variables and all items with loadings greater than (>0.3), which deals with self-esteem. It has been evaluated that the nursing professional identity scale can be used to adapt and assess the developing/forming stages of student nurses and the variables needed for constituting a professional identity. Self-presentation, self-image, self-esteem, self-categorization and self-concept are directly associated with certain activities, interventions, and approaches required to be developed.

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