Professional Identity in Nursing

Professional Identity in Nursing

Professional identity is the most important feature in professional jobs. In nursing, it is described as a sense of oneself and a relationship with others that are influenced by norms, characteristics, and values of the discipline of nursing that results in individualized thinking, feeling, and acting as a nurse. It comprises four domains: knowledge, leadership, values and ethics, and professional comportment (Fitzgerald, 2020).  The values and ethics domain decrees a set of principles and core values that guide nursing conduct. The knowledge domain analyses and applies the information derived from scientific evidence, critical reflection, and experiences (evidence-based practice). The leadership domain encourages self and others to transform a shared vision into reality. In comparison, the professional component guides nursing behavior through words, actions, and presence. Therefore, professional identity in nursing is a complex, inevitable, and dynamic process that promotes credibility in nursing practice.

The most important characteristic of professional identity in nursing is being accountable. This attribute enables nurses to take full responsibility for every decision they make regarding caregiving to the patient. Professional identity in nursing dictates that nurses should always apply the attribute of accountability in every situation, especially when providing care to patients. The second most important attribute of professional identity is integrity, in which nurses are expected to demonstrate honesty in their relationship with their patients, family, and caregivers.  The attribute of dignity commands the nurses to attend to the patients and the caregivers with self-respect. Another important attribute of professional identity in nursing is beneficence, in which nurses are expected to act in the best interest of the patient (Browne et al., 2018).

As a nurse, I will apply the attributes of professional identity in the provision of care to patients by embracing the core values of nursing practice through multiple engagements with fellow nursing staff, the multidisciplinary team, the patients, and their caregivers/families. I will continue to nurture the development of my professional identity by engaging with other experienced nursing staff in the clinical setting of including being mentored and developing a collegial spirit with other interprofessional teams. I will also embrace the ethical codes of conduct and take a proactive leadership role in nursing by applying evidence-based practice in nursing practice, quality improvement, patient-centered care, information, patient safety, and cultural sensitivity that promotes effective patient care.  I will also internalize and reflect on the key domains of professionalism in the practice of care.

Another way through which I will develop my professional identity as a nurse is by developing confidence while delivering care to patients. Developing confidence while providing nursing care will enable me to provide holistic patient care that is discipline-centred and didactic, and shift from the traditional method of nursing care (Maginnis, 2018). I will view the patients from a knowledge point of view, thus developing their sense of personal identity and development. My educational journey to become a nurse has taught me to incorporate evidence-based practice, which will enable me to reflect on myself as a competent caregiver with a comprehensive and multifaced view of self. I will also improve my creative and imaginative skills so that I can improve and attain effective patient care. Finally, I will engage myself in effective teamwork while delivering care.

For continued professional identity as a nurse, I will assess and package my skills in regards to patient care, do the best I can while delivering care, avoid toxic workplace behaviours, develop communication skills, build a purposeful network in my practice of nursing acre, be organized, dress and behave professionally.

References

Browne, C., Wall, P., Batt, S., & Bennett, R. (2018). Understanding perceptions of nursing professional identity in students entering an Australian undergraduate nursing degree. Nurse education in practice, 32, 90-96. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471595317306741

Fitzgerald, A. (2020, July). Professional identity: A concept analysis. In Nursing forum (Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 447-472). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nuf.12450

Maginnis, C. (2018). A discussion of professional identity development in nursing students. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 6(1). https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f54b/

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Module 11 Content

Creating Your Professional Identity

Competency
Determine the attributes that help form the professional nurses’ identity.
Apply principles of professional identity and professionalism.

Professional Identity in Nursing

Scenario

As a nursing student, you have a vision of your core values and expectations as a professional nurse. In this assignment, create a plan to guide you as you form your professional identity.

Instructions

This formation will include the following:
Describe the meaning of nursing professionalism identity
Identify the most important professional identity characteristics/attributes
Explain how you will adapt these characteristics/attributes in the clinical setting
Reflect on your educational journey and describe how this shaped your professional identity.
Create your goals for continued professional identity formation during your career as a nurse.
Provide stated ideas with professional language and attribution for credible sources with correct APA citation, spelling, and grammar.