Abstract
Background: The study aimed to explore pre-licensure nursing students’ perceptions of their professional identity in nursing. Forming a nurse’s professional identity is a transformational process that begins during pre-licensure nursing programs, and there is limited evidence regarding effective interventions to facilitate the process (Godfrey & Young, 2025; Thompson, 2022). Educators are responsible for creating a learning environment that fosters professional identity development in pre-licensure nursing students (Godfrey & Young, 2025; Thompson, 2022). Nurses who embody their professional identity can positively influence patient safety, enhance the quality of patient care, and promote a healthy workplace environment (Phillips & Priddy, 2023; Thompson, 2022).
Methods: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. This longitudinal qualitative descriptive study employed purposeful sampling to recruit pre-licensure nursing students enrolled in a first-semester course at a rural Midwestern university in the United States. Students engaged in multiple innovative active learning activities on professionalism and professional identity in nursing. Students completed a Qualtrics survey consisting of four open-ended questions to encourage reflection on their professional identity as nurses (n = 61) and re-surveyed using the same Qualtrics survey at the end of the fourth semester (n = 53). Data analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis method. Trustworthiness was ensured through Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) parallel criteria.
Results: The Pre-licensure Nursing Student’s Transformation to their Professional Nurse Identity Model emerged with four key themes: (a) Professional Nurse Values and Ethics; (b) Nursing Knowledge: Research and Evidence-Based Practice; (c) Nursing Students and Nurses as Leaders; and (d) Professional Comportment in Education and Practice. Limitations of the study include being restricted to one program; however, data saturation was achieved.
Conclusions: Forming a professional identity is a transformational process for pre-licensure nursing students that begins in their educational programs and must continue as they graduate and transition into practice. Faculty and clinical practice nurses can facilitate this process by providing supportive learning experiences, mentoring, and role modeling. Future research must include diverse pre-licensure nursing students from multiple educational programs globally.
Notes
Reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Eta Upsilon
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Teaching and Learning Strategies, Curriculum Development, Competence, Nursing Education, Advances in Education, Pre-licensure Nursing Students, Professional Identity in Nursing
Recommended Citation
Owens, Rhoda A. and Denny, Dawn L., "Pre-Licensure Nursing Student Professional Identity Formation: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 124.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/124
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-11-27
Pre-Licensure Nursing Student Professional Identity Formation: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Background: The study aimed to explore pre-licensure nursing students’ perceptions of their professional identity in nursing. Forming a nurse’s professional identity is a transformational process that begins during pre-licensure nursing programs, and there is limited evidence regarding effective interventions to facilitate the process (Godfrey & Young, 2025; Thompson, 2022). Educators are responsible for creating a learning environment that fosters professional identity development in pre-licensure nursing students (Godfrey & Young, 2025; Thompson, 2022). Nurses who embody their professional identity can positively influence patient safety, enhance the quality of patient care, and promote a healthy workplace environment (Phillips & Priddy, 2023; Thompson, 2022).
Methods: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. This longitudinal qualitative descriptive study employed purposeful sampling to recruit pre-licensure nursing students enrolled in a first-semester course at a rural Midwestern university in the United States. Students engaged in multiple innovative active learning activities on professionalism and professional identity in nursing. Students completed a Qualtrics survey consisting of four open-ended questions to encourage reflection on their professional identity as nurses (n = 61) and re-surveyed using the same Qualtrics survey at the end of the fourth semester (n = 53). Data analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis method. Trustworthiness was ensured through Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) parallel criteria.
Results: The Pre-licensure Nursing Student’s Transformation to their Professional Nurse Identity Model emerged with four key themes: (a) Professional Nurse Values and Ethics; (b) Nursing Knowledge: Research and Evidence-Based Practice; (c) Nursing Students and Nurses as Leaders; and (d) Professional Comportment in Education and Practice. Limitations of the study include being restricted to one program; however, data saturation was achieved.
Conclusions: Forming a professional identity is a transformational process for pre-licensure nursing students that begins in their educational programs and must continue as they graduate and transition into practice. Faculty and clinical practice nurses can facilitate this process by providing supportive learning experiences, mentoring, and role modeling. Future research must include diverse pre-licensure nursing students from multiple educational programs globally.
Description
Forming a nurse’s professional identity is a transformational process that begins during pre-licensure nursing programs. Educators are responsible for providing learning experiences and an environment that fosters student professional identity development. This study explored pre-licensure nursing students’ perceptions of their professional identity in nursing formations throughout their coursework. Results have implications for practice, education, and future research globally.