Examining the factors associated with nurses’professional identity from the perspectives of learning effectiveness and teamwork skills

Examining the factors associated with nurses’professional identity from the perspectives of learning effectiveness and teamwork skills

Purpose: The promotion and retention of care experience are crucial in nursing practice. Researchshows that professional identity can improve the retention of nurses and enhance their care practices.Most studies of professional identity have focused on clinical nurses, and there is limited research intonursing students’professional identity. This study aimed to test a model wherein simulation learningeffectiveness, teamwork skill, and competence are related to professional identity.Methods: In this quantitative and correlational study, participants were 102 nursing students, who wererecruited from one medical university in Taiwan. Data were collected using the Simulation LearningEffectiveness Scale, Teamwork Skills Scale, Holistic Nursing Competence Scale, and ProfessionalIdentification Scale.Results: Simulation learning effectiveness and teamwork skill were significantly and positivelyassociated with holistic nursing competence (β= .44;β= .46, p < .001). In addition, holistic nursingcompetence was significantly and positively associated with professional identity (β= .55, p < .001).Overall, simulation learning effectiveness and teamwork explained 50.8% of the variance in nursingcompetence. Nursing competence explained 30% of the variance in professional identity.Conclusion: The findings of this study expand our understanding of nursing students’professionalidentity. This may be particularly useful for nursing school faculties to develop strategies to enhancestudents’professional identity.