essay on professionalism in nursing

30 Examples of How to Demonstrate Professionalism in Nursing

Whether you are a nursing student or a nurse with several years of experience, you know that professionalism is a significant trait all nurses should have. While nurses are referred to as healthcare professionals, many do not understand the concept of what true professionalism encompasses. Maybe you have asked yourself, "What is professionalism in nursing?” In this article, you will find information about nursing professionalism, including 30 examples of how to demonstrate professionalism in nursing. As you continue reading, keep in mind that each nurse is responsible for developing professional characteristics and implementing those characteristics into daily practice.

What Is Professionalism In Nursing?

Who determines the standards of professionalism in nursing, 10 reasons why professionalism is so important in nursing, what are the 7 key elements of professionalism in nursing, 1. leadership:, 2. professional values:, 3. professional development:, 4. basic care competency:, 5. altruism:, 6. social justice:, 7. human dignity:, how to demonstrate professionalism in nursing, example #1: learn effective communication, how to demonstrate it in nursing practice:, why is it important in nursing:, example #2: show compassion, example #3: participate in interdisciplinary collaboration, example #4: be accountable, example #5: never stop learning, example #6: have a positive attitude, example #7: provide high-quality patient care, example #8: dress the part, example #9: be ethical, example #10: practice cultural awareness, example #11: have a “patients first” mindset, example #12: mentor other nurses, example #13: practice integrity, example #14: be detail-oriented, example #15: become a critical-thinker, example #16: help resolve conflicts, example #17: be adaptable, example #18: lead by example, example #19: make yourself a priority by practicing self-care, example #20: show respect and appreciation to your co-workers, example #21: be a faithful patient advocate, example #22: show up for work, example #23: promote safe nursing practices, example #24: pursue personal growth and development, example #25: be willing to show empathy, example #26: be sympathetic to others, example #27: practice resilience, example #28: exercise your right to practice autonomously, example #29: be confident in your abilities, example #30: be willing to accept constructive criticism and advice, what are some examples of unprofessionalism in nursing, 1. participating in or causing conflict among team members:, 2. missing work unnecessarily:, 3. not protecting patient privacy and confidentiality:, 4. taking credit for someone else’s work:, 5. avoiding responsibilities:, 6. providing misleading or false information:, 7. abandoning patient care:, 8. accepting an unsafe patient assignment:, 9. failure to maintain professional boundaries with clients or their families:, 10. using unsafe practices:, consequences of unprofessional conduct in nursing, 1. increased absenteeism:, 2. hostility among staff:, 3. disciplinary action:, 4. loss of license:, 5. damaged professional reputation:, 5 most-common challenges to professionalism in nursing practice and how to overcome them, challenge #1: maintaining positive relationships with unprofessional peers, what is it:, how to overcome:, challenge #2: knowing where to draw the line with nurse-patient relationships, challenge #3: dealing with rude patients, challenge #4: unprofessional work environment, challenge #5: emotionally charged situations, 5 tips to enhance professionalism with patients in nursing practice, 1. make patient care a priority., 2. take time to hear what your patient needs to say., 3. speak up on your patient’s behalf., 4. protect your patient’s privacy., 5. demonstrate high standards of care., 5 tips to enhance professionalism with co-workers in nursing practice, 1. be honest with yourself., 2. encourage and participate in team collaboration., 3. recognize the accomplishments and contributions of your co-workers., 4. be accountable to your team members., 5. invite co-workers to join professional nursing associations with you., bonus useful resources to learn more about professionalism in nursing, blogs/websites, youtube videos, my final thoughts, frequently asked questions answered by our expert, 1. does nursing require a higher level of professionalism compared to other healthcare careers, 2. what are professional boundaries in nursing, 3. why nurses should set boundaries to maintain professionalism in nursing, 4. what is professional presence in nursing, 5. what is professional misconduct in nursing, 6. what is personal and professional development in nursing, 7. what is professional caring in nursing, 8. what is professional communication in nursing, 9. what is professional competence in nursing, 10. what is professional advocacy in nursing, 11.what is professional accountability in nursing, 12.what is professional socialization in nursing, 13.how does professionalism in nursing influence health policy, 14.how complaining in the nursing profession hurts professionalism, 15.how should professionalism be evaluated in nursing, 16.how do nursing schools teach professionalism, 17.what are the top 3 professional goals every nursing student should aim for.

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Professionalism in Nursing: An Integrative Review of the Literature

2023, Journal of Holistic Nursing and Midwifery

Professionalism in nursing is a fundamental concept for providing effective and high-quality nursing care. Due to the complexity and multiple sides of this concept, it lacks a clear and precise definition. This ambiguity has created different and even poor interpretations of meanings and characteristics, making its accurate measurement difficult. Objective: This study aims to review the literature to provide the definition and attributes of "professionalism in nursing" and formulate a conceptual model for it. Materials and Methods: In the present study, the integrated review method was used in five stages: Specifying the problem, searching the literature, evaluating and extracting data, analyzing data, and presenting the results. The studies published in English or Persian were searched in international databases, such as CINAHL, EBSCO, PubMed, ProQuest, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, SAGE, Science Direct, and Google Scholar search engine, as well as national databases, including SID, MagIran, IranDoc, and the medical sciences theses search engine. Results: After reviewing and analyzing 54 studies (17 qualitative studies, 27 quantitative studies, 4 mixed-method studies, 4 review studies, and 2 guidelines), the definition, attributes, antecedents, and consequences of "professionalism in nursing" were stipulated. The attributes included academic specialized knowledge, continuous pursuit of competence, autonomy, professional commitment, professional interaction, accountability, adherence to ethical principles and values, and advocacy. The antecedents were personal/occupational, organizational, and social factors. The consequences were individual and social outcomes. Conclusion: The results of integrative review of the literatures showed professionalism in nursing has evolved and encompassed new attributes and dimensions. Due to the comprehensiveness of the provided conceptual model, it can be used to design a tool to evaluate the professional qualities of nurses in their jobs.

Related Papers

Frontiers of Nursing

leila Afshar

Objective In today's world with sweeping changes, nurses are responsible for providing high-quality and cost-benefit care, which would almost be impossible unless they achieve their high professional status. To date, no precise and comprehensive definition of professionalism in nursing has been evidently proposed. In fact, many of the previously proposed definitions are either complicated or ambiguous. Moreover, there is no consensus in the literature on an exhaustive definition for “a professional nurse.” The present study aimed to illustrate the concept of professionalism in nursing and identify its defining characteristics. Methods In this study, concept analysis was conducted using Whittemore et al.'s method for the integrated review. A comprehensive search of electronic, scientific databases including Eric, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, PsychoINFO, Embass, MagIran, IranDoc, SID, and IRANMEDEX was carried out using the keywords such as professionalism, professio...

Maryam Momeni

Professionalism is a fundamental and elementary concept in nursing. The demand for nursing professionalization has become greater than ever in recent years. The present study aimed to examine Iranian registered nurses level of professionalism and associated factors. Methods: In this exploratory cross-sectional study, all qualified registered nurses working in two teaching hospitals (Imam Sajad and Rajaei hospitals) in North of Iran were invited to participate. The Hall's Professionalism Inventory (HPI) scale was used to assess the nurse’s level of professionalism. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (v17.0; PASW Statistics). Results: Of the 133 nurses, 83.5% (n=111) were female and 16.5% (n=32) were male. The mean age of participants was 33.5±8.4 years and mean years of experience was 8.4±7.7 years. The mean score of nurse’s professionalism in all domains were 68.5±6.8. With regards to HPI scale domains, higher and lower mean score were related to autonom...

Journal of Professional Nursing

Filiz Hisar

International journal of nursing knowledge

mahvash salsali , Mohammad-Ali Cheraghi

The present study was conducted with the aim of clarifying and reducing the semantic ambiguities around the concept of professionalism. The concept analysis method of Walker and Avant was used. The analysis demonstrated that professionalism in nursing consists of three main pillars: principles of care, communication, and ethics. Given that the process of professionalism in nursing may have positive outcomes for the nurse, the nursing profession, and the health system of the community, these items have been attended to. The present concept analysis can open the way to conducting more extensive research and devising tools to identify the barriers, facilitators, and administrative arrangements by clarifying the concept.

Journal of Professional Nursing - J PROF NURSING

Christine Wynd

A serious nursing shortage is creating a crisis in the nation’s health care system. Many experienced nurses are leaving the field and young people are not selecting nursing as a potential career. Reassessment of professionalism in nursing therefore is indicated. A descriptive comparative/correlational design examined differences and relationships among levels of nursing professionalism, experience, educational degrees, organizational membership, and specialty certification in a random sample of registered nurses (RNs) (N = 774). The Professionalism Inventory Scale was used to measure attitudinal attributes of professionalism and its five dimensions (use of professional organizations as major referent groups, belief in public service, autonomy, self-regulation, and a sense of calling). A series of statistical analyses revealed that professionalism was related significantly to years of experience as an RN, higher educational degrees in nursing, membership in organizations, service as ...

Journal of Caring Sciences

Gulsah Arslan

Bakirkoy Tip Dergisi / Medical Journal of Bakirkoy

Emine Şenyuva

Journal of Nursing Scholarship

Dr. Lobna Khamis Mohamed

Lobna Ibrahim

Context: Professionalism is an essential ingredient in the nursing profession that begins during the foundational educational program when the student nurses learn the knowledge, skills, and attitudes and continue during their practices in the real world. Aim: This research aimed to assess the main attributes of professionalism among undergraduates nursing students and nurses. Methods: This study utilized a descriptive comparative correlational design. The current study was conducted in the faculty of nursing, as well as in Intensive Care Units, Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Cardiac Care Units, and Neurology Intensive Care Units at Tanta University Hospital. Subjects. The sample consisted of (897) nursing students and (149) nurses. The data collection's tool was the nursing professionalism attributes' questionnaire that was developed by the authors. It contains three dimensions, including; professional identity (12 statements), professional ethics (12 statements), and professional behaviors (16 statements). Results: This study suggested that the undergraduate nursing students perceived the high mean score in all professionalism attributes more than the practicing nurses did. Conclusion: This study concluded that the development of professionalism in nursing is an essential feature of the nursing profession and practice. The nurse students were high in areas of patients and colleagues' rights, obeying orders, commitment and collaboration, physical appearance, continuing education, and caring of the patient. While the nurses had very low scores in membership in the nursing association, autonomy, and research areas, this study recommended the encouragement of nurses and students' participation in scientific research activities, including; membership in professional organizations or associations, attending nursing conferences/workshops/symposium as a producer or consumer, and fellowship.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

Gökhan Yilmaz

RELATED PAPERS

MATEC Web of Conferences

Fauzia Hanum Ikhwan

British Journal of Dermatology

Craig Burkhart

Paula Liliana Bello Rodriguez

azam ahmadyan

Chemosphere

Ilya Tsyrlov

Rev Venez Oncol

Alejandra Merchan

International Public Management Journal

Seung Ho An

Hugo Valenzuela García

Linda Agustina

Santiago Castán Pérez-Gómez

Katherine Araya

Amazônia: Revista de Educação em Ciências e Matemáticas

Jessié Gutierres

wanda eka putri

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences

Fumio Hanaoka

Anthropological Review

Henryk Witas

Giuseppe Ciuffreda

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Linh Nguyễn

Journal of Alloys and Compounds

Oceanologica Acta

Eliane Gonthier

Iranian endodontic journal

Pantaleo Scelza

JURNAL ENVIROTEK

Am Maisarah Disrinama

Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth

Alessio Ponzio (He, Him, His)

Revista De La Facultad De Ciencias

JULIAN ANDRES CASTAÑO OSPINA

Financial Analysts Journal

Alan Marcus

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res
• v.19(1); Jan-Feb 2014

Nursing professionalism: An evolutionary concept analysis

Fataneh ghadirian.

1 Department of School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Towhid Sq, Tehran, Iran

Mahvash Salsali

Mohammad ali cheraghi, background:.

Professionalism is an important feature of the professional jobs. Dynamic nature and the various interpretations of this term lead to multiple definitions of this concept. The aim of this paper is to identify the core attributes of the nursing professionalism.

Materials and Methods:

We followed Rodgers’ evolutionary method of concept analysis. Texts published in scientific databases about nursing professionalism between 1980 and 2011 were assessed. After applying the selection criteria, the final sample consisting of 4 books and 213 articles was selected, examined, and analyzed in depth. Two experts checked the process of analysis and monitored and reviewed them.

The analysis showed that nursing professionalism is determined by three attributes of cognitive, attitudinal, and psychomotor. In addition, the most important antecedents concepts were demographic, experiential, educational, environmental, and attitudinal factors.

Conclusion:

Nursing professionalism is an inevitable, complex, varied, and dynamic process. In this study, the importance, scope, and concept of professionalism in nursing, the concept of a beginning for further research and development, and expanding the nursing knowledge are explained and clarified.

I NTRODUCTION

“Professionalization” is an important characteristic of in-service careers.[ 1 ] The concept of professionalization is expressed in the terminology of many job groups and has a long history, especially in social context. Dynamic feature and multiple interpretations of professionalization result in numerous definitions with different functions and nature.[ 2 ] Over the years, many people spoke about professionalization in nursing and its features. Therefore, there are multiple definitions and characteristics for professionalization in nursing.[ 3 , 4 , 5 ] Also, researchers used different methods and tools for its assessment and evaluation.

Nursing profession status is an inter-profession and intra-profession challenge. Whether there is nursing professionalism or not is a challenge among the nurses, sociologists, and historians.[ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ] For many years, other scientists considered nursing as a semi-professional career.[ 3 ] Until 1970, nursing profession was considered as a female work and women were considered as barriers to professionalization in nursing due to their high workload and part-time work.[ 11 ] At that time, some factors such as slow formation of scientific fundamentals of nursing, disagreement in educational requirements for nurses,[ 10 , 12 , 13 ] lack of academic education at the entry level of nursing courses, and lack of theory and theory-based research[ 14 ] were considered as barriers for nursing as a profession.

Gradually, development of education standards and professional certificates led nursing move to professional status.[ 3 ] Having stronger powerful basis for theory and practice and professional education in nursing discipline brought about social cognition. Social understanding about nursing made the society consider nurses as cost–benefit health care providers and independent decision makers. Therefore, nursed could receive more funds and governmental financial aids.[ 15 ]

Today's rapid changes in value systems in society caused nursing to encounter more ethical and philosophical challenges at providing care to its clients. These changes also created new nursing environments that require professional nursing. Accordingly, nursing professionalization definition and its attributes need to be clarified and adapted with rapid changes. For this purpose, concept analysis is a suitable method.

Concepts are the building blocks of theories.[ 16 ] They have important role in theory development. Concept analysis is one of the strategies in concept development. In this strategy, the basic elements of a concept for understanding its structure and function are assessed. During concept analysis process, a researcher, theorist, or clinician becomes familiar with different attributes and definitions of concept and its function.

Evolutionary approach of Rodgers in concept analysis is based on contemporary philosophical thinking on concepts and their roles in knowledge development. In this approach, dynamic features of concepts over time and different social contexts are emphasized.[ 17 ] Form evolutionary perspective, instead of emphasis on “what is it?,” more discovery and assessment are mostly focused. Consequently, this process results in a form of cyclical concept development. With this approach, the final results are the starting point for more concept analysis.[ 17 ] Purpose of concept analysis in this approach is to explain the concept and its attributes more clearly for its further development.[ 18 ]

Accordingly, the purpose of the current study is assessment of “nursing professionalization” concept to understand more about its attributes, antecedents, and consequences. Since the contemporary nursing believed human and other nursing phenomena have constantly a changing and interrelated context, it seems that nursing professionalization is also better understood in the context. This perspective is congruent with evolutionary approach in concept analysis.

M ATERIALS AND M ETHODS

While there are several methods of concept analysis,[ 19 ] an evolutionary approach was selected as the concept of nursing professionalization depends on the context and can be interpreted only when the different parameters appear in a specific context.[ 17 ] Although this approach of studying recommends six preliminary activities [ Table 1 ], Rogers believes that many of these activities take place simultaneously during the study. Study process has a non-linear, rotational, and flexible nature. The six stages merely indicate activities that should take place during the study, and it should not be regarded as a continuous process. In this way, Rogers uses inductive approach and detailed analysis and focuses on the collection and analysis of raw data. In this approach, concepts in the specific social and cultural context of a given profession are studied.[ 17 , 20 ]

Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis process

After identifying the concept of interest, the most important step is determining the scope and range of literature.[ 20 ] The scientific databases, PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, ProQuest, and EBM REVIEW, were searched. In a preliminary search, the term “professional nurse” was used. Next, to achieve more precise results, the inclusion criteria were identified. The main criterion for inclusion in the final analysis was the literature published in English from 1980 to 2011 in the context of nursing and health sciences. The exclusion criterion was non-English language articles. Preliminary results of the search gave 250 articles meeting the inclusion criteria, and after deleting the duplicated items (14 items), the number decreased to about 236. In the final stage, 213 articles had the term “professional nurse” in their title or abstract, and their full texts, if available and that too in the nursing field, were chosen. In addition, four books were used in the analysis process to cover the subjects. Books and papers were carefully reviewed and studied. For analyzing, thematic analysis and content analysis were used. All articles in the context of nursing were exactly read, and hints and useful features, antecedents, consequences, related concepts, surrogate terms, and definition of concept were extracted. Then, the data were reviewed several times to allow the researcher to be immersed in, and this enabled deriving key tags and notes to provide clear explanations about every aspect of the concept. Overall, inductive analysis of data was done and themes were identified. Information units consisted of the words and sentences related to the information or responses concerning the following questions: What are the specific characteristics of professional nursing? How do you define nursing professionalization? How do you pretend nursing professionalization? What factors are associated with the incidence of professional nursing? What are the consequences or outcomes of nursing professionalization? Papers based on conceptual analysis of studied information were grouped. In order to ensure impartiality, reliability, and bias reduction, the analysis process was checked by two nursing experts in concept analysis.

Identification of the characteristics of the concept is the first stage of the analysis that leads to the actual definition of the concept.[ 20 , 21 ] Characteristics of a concept, including features and specifications of a concept that have been permanently associated with the concept, help identify the clarity, breadth, and depth of that concept.[ 19 ] In this study, the conceptual dimensions of nursing professionalization were identified as cognitive, affective, and psychomotor dimensions.

Cognitive dimension of nursing professionalization

Nursing education should be able to develop professional knowledge.[ 22 ] All learners should have a basic cognitive framework for understanding the professionalization. It seems that getting all the essential aspects of professional knowledge in all phases of professionalization must be considered and principles of professionalization must be combined at different levels of professional education.[ 23 ] Learner development begins from a basic understanding of the underlying principles of professional conduct and the underlying reasons, and ultimately, the learner should be able to prioritize and make decisions.[ 24 ]

Walton et al . (2010) assigned five stages of training to professional nurse education as follows: (1) create a practical fake identity of a professional nurse in students, (2) trial and error, (3) the seriousness of the conduct; (4) transfer to the bedside, and 5) professionalization.[ 25 ] Some studies suggest that certain training courses such as ethics, research, or professionalization should be included in the professional training program in nursing.[ 26 ] Professional training courses can be temporary and occur during periods of formal or informal education. Professional training in formal programs can be provided with specific workshops and courses of training development modules,[ 27 ] working in small groups on problem-solving, use of role play, simulated patients,[ 28 ] or clinical courses.[ 29 ] On the other hand, usually students learn values ​​and norms in informal trainings.[ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ] For this purpose, there must be a professional learning environment.[ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ] Role modeling and changing the organizational culture can be effective in non-formal education.[ 39 ] Every training program should be designed to meet the expectations concerning professionalization.[ 40 ]

In the area of professional learning, continuing education is very important. UKCCN (United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing) states that all nurses should provide a certificate of professional updating every 3 years.[ 41 ] However, continuing education cannot be considered as the only criterion and antecedent for professionalization, as until mastery of knowledge is not combined with a personal value system and transferred to action, it cannot have a true function.[ 42 ] Making this commitment to continuous learning is the primary task of professional education.[ 43 , 44 , 45 ]

Attitudinal dimension of nursing professionalization

Values are beliefs and ideals that individuals and groups possess.[ 46 ] Professional values ​​are practical standards that create a framework for evaluation of attitudes and ideas influencing behavior in professional clinicians.[ 47 ] Acquisition of professional values is the heart of professional development.[ 48 ]

Many attitudinal items are discussed in the articles and professional experiences concerning nursing professionalization. Although professionalization is a category related to culture, some of its properties are mentioned as to be autonomous, cooperative, retained jurisdiction, membership in professional organizations and professional development, community service and social services, compliance with codes of nursing, conduct and evaluation of nursing theory.[ 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ] Kim et al . stated that the main features of the nursing professionalization values are classified into three main groups: (1) personal-based features such as the ability to understand the feelings and problems of others, willingness to help others, ability to work with others, tolerance and flexibility in communicating with others; (2) knowledge-based features such as knowledge and skills, scientific accuracy, and ability to research; and (3) state-dependent properties such as willingness to take responsibility and emphasizing on the attractive external appearance.[ 56 ] Core values ​set forth by AACN (American Association of Critical-Care Nursing) (1998) include human dignity, integrity, autonomy, altruism, and social justice.[ 48 ] These values have also been identified by Horton (2007).[ 57 ] Hall (1982, 1968, 1967) formulated five attributes to the most mature professions such as law and medicine, which are use of professional reference agencies, community service, autonomy, self-regulation, and sense of commitment and professionalism.[ 58 , 59 , 60 ]

In nursing professionalization, the “professional self” is one of the most important attitudinal elements. Professional identity is a secret knowledge that shows the continuation of a profession.[ 61 ] Professional attitude is a sense of experiences that makes up a professional identity.[ 62 ] Professional self-concept is the result of the university system, skills training, and professional development.[ 22 ] Arthur and colleagues (1998) showed that sense of being a professional among graduate students was stronger than among experienced nurses.[ 63 ] Finally, we can say professionalization is a framework for identifying a career in a social context, which emphasizes on attitudinal dimension of professionalization showing the importance of attitude within a profession and its professionals.[ 64 ]

Psychomotor dimension of nursing professionalization

Studies showed among nurses following the standards of practice and psychomotor competences, there are those who value professionalization.[ 65 ] UKCC in 1992, in an article titled “review professional action,” defined the nursing profession by these characteristics: Professional nursing is characterized by clinical working. This view has led to the expansion of the nursing role, so that they allowed getting involved in the therapeutic activities based on their personal qualifications and are actively involved in patient care.[ 66 ] So, professionalization is a certain style of management and implementation through which the professionals know about their commitments and obligations. It is also for those who are self-learning and self-controlled. This is consistent with the word “knowledgeable doer” that can be found in new dialogs in nursing.[ 67 ]

The definition of nursing professionalization in the clinical area is a difficult issue. Barber (1965) defined four properties for a professional manner: High degree of systematic and public knowledge, awareness about the interests of society rather than the personal interests, a high degree of self-control in behavior through moral codes, and existence of a reward system as a sign for success.[ 68 ] In nursing, some scholars have defined codes of professional behavior as: Respecting the dignity, values, and beliefs of the patients, maintaining patients’ trust, making informed decisions, provision of competent and safe care, maintaining standards of activities, presenting the image of nursing, and having a harmony with the law in action.[ 69 ] Lui et al . (2007) stated that the use of codes of professional behavior is important, but it is difficult in clinical practice. The main code of professional behavior in their study was “safe and competent care.”[ 69 ] This item is considered as the main foundation for nursing professionalization by other nursing associations in the West.[ 70 , 71 ]

From another perspective, nursing professionalization consists of behaviors including commitment, encouragement of the colleagues, peer assessments, and support from collective nature of profession. Focus in this view is on marketing and customer orientation.[ 72 ] Mayer (1992) emphasizes that in a modern society, the professions must be of good quality, reasonable, and affordable. He indicates that we can be sure about a professional service when the presented service is market-oriented. Thus, creating an environment where the focus is on value and satisfaction of the customer is important.[ 73 ]

Antecedents of nursing professionalization

The next rotational cycle in the developmental processes of evolutionary concept analysis is determining the antecedents and consequences of the concept.[ 74 ] Identifying the antecedents and consequences is an important part of the analysis because it provides greater clarity about the concept of interest. Antecedents are the events that happened before the concept occurrence and consequences can occur as a result of them.[ 17 ] Professionalization is actually a continuum that occurs during the professional socialization process. Antecedents of nursing professionalization are identified and classified in the following five groups: Demographic factors, factors related to the experience, training-related factors, factors related to the position, and value factors.

Demographic factors

Age is one of the effective factors on nursing professionalization, identified in the studies.[ 75 ] Studies have also shown that ethnic differences can have an impact on professional values.[ 76 ] Gender differences are also the other factors known to influence the professional values.[ 76 , 77 ]

Factors related to the experience

Length of service,[ 32 ] years of experience,[ 15 , 75 , 78 ] previous experiences,[ 78 ] and nursing professional experiences in the health care,[ 22 ] shown in several studies, are directly related to the nursing professionalization and professional attitude. It can be said that maturity in professional experiences has a large impact on professional attitude.

Factors related to the education

Degree,[ 22 , 72 , 79 , 80 , 81 ] membership in professional organiza tions,[ 1 , 4 , 15 , 81 , 82 ] having specialized certification,[ 1 , 15 , 78 , 81 ] the place where the last degree was issued,[ 1 ] political awareness,[ 83 ] educational readiness,[ 78 ] training and socialization,[ 72 ] teachers of nursing,[ 84 , 85 ] and length of the course,[ 1 , 86 ] all have been shown to have a significant relationship with professionalization in academic studies.

Factors related to the position

Position of nurse practitioners,[ 58 , 79 ] type of organization,[ 87 , 88 , 89 ] organizational culture,[ 69 , 90 , 91 ] the appearance of nurses in the workplace,[ 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 ] caregiver employment status,[ 1 ] work place,[ 1 ] existence of a reward system,[ 81 , 97 ] lack of staffs,[ 98 ] increasing the number of patients,[ 98 ] the existence of standards of activity,[ 99 ] lack of time, having stress and fatigue,[ 41 ] patients, clinicians, managers, and co-workers,[ 84 , 85 ] the gap between education and clinical practice,[ 22 ] and expectations of health care organizations,[ 22 ] all have been mentioned as precursors to professionalization in the reviewed studies.

Value factors

Professional satisfaction and organizational commitment,[ 4 ] professional freedom and independence and motivational factors,[ 78 ] belonging, knowing, and acknowledging,[ 100 ] support and guidance, acceptance, willingness, responsibility, and trust,[ 101 , 102 , 103 ] altruism,[ 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 ] and professional identity[ 93 ] have shown a significant relationship with professionalization. Studies showed belonging to a team, answering the questions of the patients and their families, and valuing the work do affect the understanding and meaning of students from professionalization.[ 22 , 93 ]

In general, although several internal and external factors are associated with the level of professionalization in nursing, for becoming a true professional, the experience of working and an educational background are very effective factors.

Consequences of nursing professionalization

Consequences of nursing professionalization consist of two components: Compatible and incompatible. Enhancement of patient care quality and improvement of the outcomes of care,[ 3 , 109 , 110 , 111 ] satisfaction of staffs, customers, clients, and agencies,[ 83 , 91 , 111 , 112 ] enhancement of the professional authority and the power to make decisions,[ 58 ] development of training programs to improve educational efficiency,[ 69 ] reduction of accidents and mistakes and risk management,[ 113 ] non-occurrence of burnout,[ 114 ] creating employment standards,[ 91 ] socialization, professional development, self-concept development, business retention,[ 101 , 102 , 103 ] and increased recognition of patients[ 111 ] are the compatible consequences that have been discussed in several studies.

Although professionalization can be very positive for professional practice, it can create blind spots in organization and stop vital information flow in uncertain conditions. This is because professional groups form their own subculture, especially in their language and communication habits. Therefore, they tend to be separated, even if they are working with other groups in an organization. On the other hand, as the professional members of the profession must accept responsibility, self-regulation, and control of the market for their services, the foundation of professionalization is based on the competition over resources and power that are divided between the characters and organizations.[ 113 ]

Surrogate and related concepts

The term “surrogate” is used for the concepts that express the same meaning of the desired concepts.[ 20 ] In other words, the term explains the meaning of a concept.[ 17 ] Related terms are used to express concepts that are related to the desired concept but do not have necessarily similar characteristics.[ 17 ] Application of related concepts in concept analysis is based on the idea that each concept is a part of a network of concepts. Identifying the related concepts helps us to locate “nursing professionalization” concept in basic knowledge of nursing. During the analysis process, it became clear that the concept of professionalism can be replaced with the words “profession” and “professional.”

Profession and Professor from Latin etymology have the same root (Profess). The meaning of their root is claimed or confessed.[ 2 ] From lexical aspect, profession is a vocation required to higher education and intellectual skills. Many authors have searched for the profession and its indicators. Aydellotle (1990) defined a profession as an organized and sophisticated job through which the clinicians obtain their exclusive knowledge in a protracted course for providing an exclusive, essential, or favorite service. He indicates that the essential features of a profession include having extensive and systematic knowledge, focusing on society interests, controlling the behavior through codes of ethics, having relationships with other professions, and existence of a professional reward system.[ 115 ] Extensive review of studies suggests that the profession is characterized by a series of factors: (1) the body of knowledge acquired through formal education, (2) a high level of competency, (3) inclusion criteria, (4) professional certification process, and (5) a set of behavioral and attitudinal norms, known as professionalization.[ 58 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 ]

Overall, a profession is characterized by the use of standardized knowledge that has three components: (1) an action taken based on underlying basic knowledge or discipline, (2) practical knowledge to solve everyday's problems, and (3) the knowledge based on skills and attitudes to serve to the clients. The articles defining the characteristics of the nursing profession list them as: Strong commitment, long-term and regular education, special body of knowledge and skills, ethics, autonomy, power for standard service, valuing and existence of professional associations.

The word “professional” in Aryanpur dictionary means related to a profession or an occupation, or being seasoned, skilled, and experienced. Dictionary of thesaurus lists the synonyms for the word “professional” as: Qualified, trained, skilled, white-collar professional people like doctors and engineers, expert, experienced, finished, skilled, masterly, efficient, etc.[ 121 ] Being a professional or being a professor means being a person claiming to have expertise in a specific skill or knowledge.[ 122 ] Flexner says professionals are the people who have to adapt to a particular job and have basic and higher education, high intellectual level in performance, sense of responsibility, scientific knowledge based on expertise, interest to develop learning, self-direction, and philanthropy.[ 123 ] Qualified members of a profession have ethical codes and a professional organization as a guide. Sacrifice, altruism, accountability, self-regulation, self-determination, and independence are features of the professional values.[ 7 , 124 ] Jarvis defines a professional as a person who is constantly in search of mastery in a branch of learning that is the foundation of his/her career, so as to be able to provide services to his/her clients.[ 45 ] Freidson, Cho, and Han expressed some professional qualities such as political autonomy, clinical autonomy, professional excellence and dominance, professional autonomy, clinical thinking, self-regulation and professional ethics.[ 125 , 126 , 127 ] In nursing articles, the word “professional” is implied to trained clinicians. In fact, professional employees are different. Their activities are associated with their attitudes and social behaviors.[ 117 , 128 , 129 ] These behaviors and attitudes include a high level of expertise, the freedom to manage work, commitment, knowledge, and a system of peer evaluation for maintaining the ethical standards.[ 130 ] From a marketing perspective, we can say that being a professional means to be obliged to do something that is appropriate for the patient and to accept the responsibility to provide services regardless to one's own interest.[ 58 , 116 ]

An appropriate exemplar of the concept

One of the six activities presented in Rodgers’ approach is identifying an exemplar of the concept, if appropriate. Rogers states that providing an example is essential to clarify a practical implementation of the concept related to the context.[ 17 ] Examples can be expressed by qualitative studies or specific situations.[ 131 ] Despite the strong need felt to provide such an example to clarify the concept further, the complex nature of the concept and features like its multi-dimensionality made it impossible to present a real example. This can be considered as a study limitation.

Interpretation and implications of the concept analysis

The aim of the present study was to assess nursing professionalization in relevant literatures to identify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of the concept. The results showed that nursing professionalization has cognitive, attitudinal, and psychomotor dimensions. Antecedents of nursing professionalization included demographic factors, factors related to education, factors related to experience, factors related to the position, and value factors. Consequences of nursing professionalization included two components of compatible and incompatible mechanisms. Results of the analysis are important because although a lot of literature is available about the nursing professionalization, there is little integration and inference about the concept.

Clinical implications: Professionalization and evolutionary experience

As a special knowledge, professionalization has a skill-oriented and experiential nature. So, focusing on the clinical factors that influence professionalization and providing the perfect context for professional growth and development in clinical practice seems to be one of the essential elements. One of the most important factors in the professionalization was experience, which was confirmed by several studies. Benner in 1984 proposed beginner–expert continuum as a framework for clinical nursing specialty.[ 132 ] He suggests five levels at the continuum: Beginner, advanced, competent, proficient, and expert. Different functional levels represent progressiveg stages of acquired skills and experience. Beginner–specialist's theory implies that through evolutionary experience, nurses are moving from one side to the other side of the continuum, but all nurses do not reach the level of expertise. Several studies have tried to explain the difference between a nurse specialist and beginner.[ 133 , 134 ] One of the most important factors discussed in this difference was years of experience. But this division based on years of experience is not a valid classification.[ 135 , 136 ] Benner et al ., stated that experience singly does not guarantee specialty. They belived that evolutionary experience is associated with expertise, sufficient and especial experiences.[ 137 ]

Implications for research: Professional autonomy path to the professional power

The results of the analysis suggest a variety of researches in future. Although professionalization is not a new concept in nursing, however, studies on this issue seem to have failed to provide a significant step toward a comprehensive solution to achieve it. Therefore, recognition of strategies to achieve professionalization as a major phenomenon among health care providers is essential. The result of the present study suggests professional power and autonomy as a way to achieve nursing professionalization and further researches are considered necessary.

Hall (1982) introduced professional power as the focus on professionalization. He (1968) found that the main features of the professionalization are community service and sense of duty. Meanwhile today, autonomy and membership in professional organizations are most important for nurses.[ 58 , 59 ] He explains the membership in professional organizations as the central reference for self-regulation and professional autonomy at the heart of professionalization. Thereby, it enhances the professional power. One of the main features of nursing professionalization is autonomy. Forsyth and Donisiewics stated that the professions are important, unique, and complex; therefore, professionals should have power to make their own decisions free from external pressures.[ 138 ] Bul (1998) stated that one of the main purposes and attractions to move toward professionalization is development of professional autonomy.[ 139 ] Autonomy is an important component of professionalization that is effective on personal decision making to achieve the goals and the control on job situations. Autonomy not only acts as a buffer against stress but also acts as a mean to empower and strengthen the sense of the personality and professionalism.

Studies have shown that the most important way to achieve a professional power is autonomy, acquired through membership in professional organizations. Hall states that nurses should strongly support the professional organizations because by connecting to professional organizations, they have a more professional feeling and the organizations grow more to support their members.[ 58 , 59 ] If the nurses do not reach to social maturity as a body, it may influence their attitude and the way they are perceived by others. Also, it can act as a confounding factor to reduce the development of nursing as a profession.[ 26 ]

Theoretical implications

This concept analysis is based on an evolutionary approach developed by Rogers. The concept of professionalization is associated with nursing knowledge. This approach with the presentation of a theoretical definition of nursing professionalization is used as a basic starter. This concept analysis is limited based on time and context; therefore, a continuous effort to develop a conceptual framework for the present and future of nursing professionalization is required. Due to the complex nature of the professionalization, various definitions in the literature and the other sciences, especially nursing, are common and expected. According to philosophical foundation of analysis, the result of analysis is not only to reach to what the concept is as a conclusion, but also the basis for further development of the concept. The results of the present analysis can be presented in the definition for the professionalization, as nursing professionalization is a cyclical process, which includes mastery of knowledge, skilful action, and having professional ideology, measured by the top standards. It can promote when excellence is considered as a major criterion for judging actions and attitudes of professionals.

This definition of nursing professionalization not only opens further exploration but also provides the opportunity for further research in order to develop the concept and its application in the field of theory, and research in the fields of education, management, and clinical nursing. On the other hand, acceptance of the above definition is not considered, as acceptance of a unique definition is considered as ignoring other informal factors and variable conditions, which may be a supplement, opposite, or associated with the definition.

D ISCUSSION

Professionalization, depending on times, contexts, and disciplines, has variable protests. Literature analysis of nursing professionalization led us to a variety of different meanings. The results of the present study describe the nursing professionalization as a multi-dimensional concept and it introduced cognitive, attitudinal, and psychomotor dimensions as the main features of nursing professionalization. In the review of studies, antecedents of the concept were demographic factors, factors related to experience, factors related to education, factors related to situation, and value-related factors. Consequences of professionalization in nursing are described by two components of compatible and incompatible. Therefore, nursing professionalization is not always associated with a favorable outcome. Hence, understanding of the professionalization characteristics, antecedents, and its consequences can lead to higher promotion of the status and the importance and application of this concept in the nursing profession. Use of assessment tools to evaluate and investigate this concept can result in further research and extension of the body of knowledge in this profession.

C ONCLUSION

Finally, it can be concluded that nursing professionalism has a complex nature with multi dimensions. This feature requires theorizing in this area. For this purpose, concept analysis considered the first step.

Source of Support: This article didn’t support by any institution

Conflict of Interest: Nil.

R EFERENCES

• Open access
• Published: 07 February 2023

What is nursing professionalism? a concept analysis

• Huili Cao 1 , 2 ,
• Yejun Song 3 ,
• Yanming Wu 1 ,
• Yifei Du 1 ,
• Xingyue He 1 ,
• Yangjie Chen 4 ,
• Qiaohong Wang 1 , 4 &
• Hui Yang 1 , 4  

BMC Nursing volume  22 , Article number:  34 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

38k Accesses

13 Citations

5 Altmetric

Metrics details

Nursing professionalism plays an important role in clinical nursing. However, a clear conceptual understanding of nursing professionalism is lacking.

Walker and Avant’s strategy was used to analyse the concept of nursing professionalism. We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL, for studies published from 1965 to 2021. Quantitative or qualitative studies published in English that focused on nursing professionalism were included in the study.

The three attributes of nursing professionalism are multidimensional, dynamic, and culture oriented. Based on the analysis, nursing professionalism is defined as providing individuals care based on the principles of professionalism, caring, and altruism.

Conclusions

This study offers a theoretical definition and conceptual model of nursing professionalism that may be applied to develop standardized assessment tools or nursing professionalism training programs.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

The COVID-19 outbreak has exposed deficiencies in the underinvestment of the global health system, including the shortage in nursing resources and nursing staff, and a similar situation is noted in China ( https://www.icn.ch/news/investing-nursing-and-respecting-nurses-rights-key-themes-international-nurses-day-2022 ). An unbalanced number of nurses and patients, high work pressure, lack of social occupational identity and other reasons have led to job burnout, low job satisfaction, and even the resignation of many nurses. Research has also shown that the lack of nursing professionalism adversely affects patient care and patient outcomes [ 1 ]. Ohman [ 2 ] pointed out that lower levels of professionalism may cause negative outcomes, such as turnover and attrition and lower productivity.

In recent years, researchers have tried to solve the above problems through professionalism.

However, nursing professionalism plays a more important role in clinical nursing. Some studies have shown that professionalism can improve the professional knowledge and skills of nurses and ameliorate reductions in institutional productivity and quality [ 3 ]. Higher levels of professionalism can improve nurses’ autonomy and empowerment, increase their recognition and facilitate organizational citizenship behaviours, establish nursing care standards and even improve quality services [ 4 , 5 ].

Nursing professionalism has been discussed for several decades. Hall (1968) developed the Professionalism Inventory Scale [ 6 ]. Miller et al [ 7 ] (1993) first specified the 9 standards criteria of nursing professionalism (educational background; adherence to the code of ethics; participation in the professional organization; continuing education and competency; communication and publication; autonomy and self-regulation; community service; theory use, development, and evaluation; and research involvement.). Yeun et al. (2005) summarized five themes regarding nurses’ perceptions of nursing professionalism: self-concept of the profession, social awareness, professionalism of nursing, the roles of nursing services, and originality of nursing [ 8 ]. Yoder defined nursing professionalism based on six components: acting in the patients’ interests; showing humanism; practising social responsibility; demonstrating sensitivity to people’s cultures and beliefs; having high standards of competence and knowledge; and demonstrating high ethical standards [ 9 ]. Although some researchers have explored the concept of professionalism. How can professionalism be evaluated in nursing clinical practice? Few studies have shown a clear conceptualization of nurses’ professionalism [ 10 , 11 ]. To nurture nursing professionalism, the concept of professionalism must be clarified.

Given that the meaning of professionalism varies across time, contexts, or cultures, it is difficult to define, quantify or measure professionalism [ 12 , 13 ]. The operational definition of nursing professionalism in studies has shortcomings. Sullivan et al. [ 14 ] found professionalism to be a multidimensional concept, but some papers have addressed only one dimension, such as values [ 15 ] or behaviours [ 16 ]. Moreover, professionalism is considered a complex concept. The links and dynamic processes between these different inner characteristics have not been included in the concept. Thus, a comprehensive definition of nursing professionalism, including its characteristics and the relations between them, is necessary.

Recognizing and understanding the concept of nursing professionalism may be an essential step towards providing quality care for people. It may also provide more information for further developing nursing professionalism for nurses.

Method of concept analysis

Walker and Avant’s method used linguistic philosophy techniques to contribute to the philosophical understanding of a concept [ 17 ]. The W & A method is considered a mark of the positivist paradigm, which views the concept as a stable factor that can be reduced or extracted from its context of application [ 18 ]. This study used Walker and Avant’s method, which assumes that nursing professionalism is a relatively mature and stable concept (numerous studies on nursing professionalism have been published to date). This approach to conceptual analysis, although not perfect, is helpful in clarifying the concept of nursing professionalism.

Using the structured method of Walker and Avant enables conceptual clarity to be obtained based on an inductive identification of the concept’s attributes, antecedents and consequences. The concept analysis helps to clarify meanings and develop operational definitions, considering evidence from a wide range of information resources for further research or clinical practice [ 17 , 19 ]. These features make this method particularly useful for the analysis of the concept of ‘nursing professionalism’. The conceptual attributes as well as antecedents and consequences are based on the research team's analysis of the literature using Walker and Avant’s strategy and are not the product of a priori theoretical categories.

Walker and Avant’s [ 17 ] eight-step method includes the following: 1) selecting a concept; 2) determining the aims or purposes of analysis; 3) identifying all uses of the concept; 4) determining the defining attributes of the concept; 5) constructing a model case; 6) constructing borderline, contrary, invented, and illegitimate cases; 7) identifying antecedents and consequences; and 8) defining empirical references.

Selection criteria

The inclusion criteria were as follows: related to the concept of nursing professionalism; included nurse professionalism, nursing spirit, or nurse spirit; written in the English language; qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods or systematic reviews; published between 1965 and 2021 (when professionalism was first introduced by nursing in 1965); and published in books or dictionaries. We excluded articles published in nonpeer reviewed journals, editorials and letters to the editor.

Data sources

We searched several online databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL, for articles published from 1965 to 2021. We searched the words that appear in the title, abstract, and keyword section of the studies.

(((((((((Nursing professionalism[Title]) OR (Nursing professionalism[Title/Abstract])) OR (Nurse professionalism[Title])) OR (Nurse professionalism[Title/Abstract])) OR (Nursing spirit[Title])) OR (Nursing spirit[Title/Abstract])) OR (Nurse spirit[Title])) OR (Nurse spirit[Title/Abstract])).

TI Nursing professionalism OR AB Nursing professionalism OR TI Nurse professionalism OR AB Nurse professionalism OR TI Nursing spirit OR AB Nursing spirit OR TI Nurse spirit OR AB Nurse spirit.

TITLE-ABS-KEY (Nursing professionalism) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (Nurse professionalism) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (Nursing spirit) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (Nurse spirit).

Any quantitative or qualitative studies published in English focusing on nursing professionalism were included in the study. Two researchers independently screened titles and abstracts to determine the selection criteria for electronic retrieval and application. The study was included only when both researchers agreed that the study met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. If the two researchers’ judgements were different, a third person was consulted to resolve the issue. Researchers identified the different usages of the concept and systematically recorded the characteristics of the concept that appeared repeatedly [ 17 ].

We used definitions and examples in the systematic record (Table 2 ) to define a cluster of antecedents, attributes and consequences (Figs. 1 and  2 ) frequently associated with the concept [ 20 ].

Flowchart of the study selection process of the concept analysis

We identified 6013 studies on nursing professionalism. After excluding duplicates, irrelevant studies, studies that were not original scientific studies or articles, and studies published in languages other than English, 138 studies were selected for analysis. Tables 1 and 2 show some typical literatures used in this study.

Uses of the concept

Dictionary definitions of the concept.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines professionalism as ‘the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person’ [ 48 ], whereas the Cambridge Dictionary [ 49 ] defines professionalism as ‘the combination of all the qualities that are connected with trained and skilled people’. These definitions are generic and difficult to use to clarify the factors involved in nursing professionalism.

Definitions of the concept reported in the literature

Hwang et al. [ 50 ] defined professionalism as commitment to a profession and professional identity level. Health-care workers demonstrate professionalism through attitudes, knowledge, and behaviours, which reflect approaches to the regulations, principles, and standards underlying successful clinical practices [ 33 ]. Nursing professionalism reflects the value orientation, concepts of nursing, work attitude and standards of clinical nurses [ 51 ].

Subconcepts

The Nightingale Spirit, named in honour of the founder of professional nursing, refers to the spirit of altruism, caring, and honesty [ 52 ]. In the past, the Nightingale Spirit advocated that nurses are willing to dedicate themselves, but the term currently encompasses more innovation [ 53 ]. E-professionalism is defined as evidence provided by digital means, attitudes and behaviours reflects the traditional models of professionalism [ 54 ]. Nurses use the internet to communicate about work or daily life, blurring the boundaries between individuals and professions; thus, e-professionalism applies to nurses [ 55 ].

The defining attributes of nursing professionalism

The defining attributes of the concept aim to understand its meaning and differentiate it from other related concepts [ 17 ]. The key defining attributes are as follows.

Nursing professionalism is multidimensional

Nursing professionalism is a three-dimensional concept based on the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours that underlie successful clinical practice [ 33 ].

Professionalism can be conceptualized as a ‘systematic body of knowledge’ with complex configurations of work expertise [ 21 ].

Professionalism refers to the attitude that represents levels of recognition and commitment to a particular profession [ 22 ]. Hall [ 6 ] noted that nurses’ attitudes have a high correspondence with the behaviours of the respondent. Measuring professionalism at the cognitive level can be thought of as measuring potential professionalism at the behavioural level. Researchers noted that given the reduced restrictions of environmental constraints, measuring professionalism at the cognitive level may be more precise than measuring it at the behavioural level [ 23 ].

Nursing professionalism is often described as a set of professional behaviours [ 11 ]. Some researchers judge whether nurses exhibit professionalism through their behaviours. Miller [ 24 ] (1988) developed the Wheel of Professionalism in Nursing Model. The model is considered a framework for understanding professional behaviours among nurses. Kramer [ 56 ] (1975) quantified professionalism by assessing the number of professional books purchased, subscriptions to journals, and the number of articles published.

In addition, the perspective of professional identity formation complements the behaviour-based and attitude-based perspectives on professionalism [ 57 ].

The formation and development of professionalism are dynamic processes

Nursing professionalism is an inevitable, complex, varied, and dynamic process [ 58 ].The professionalism concept is considered ever-changing, replacing static or definitive views [ 59 ].

Socialization process

Nursing professionalism is instilled through a process of socialization in formal nursing education [ 25 ]. Nurses’ socialization process begins with formal, entry-level education to acquire knowledge and skills.

Yeun et al. [ 8 ] (2005) discussed the developmental process of nursing professionalism in which the individual’s thoughts and beliefs are formed by socialization factors through perception. These thoughts and beliefs may in turn influence the individual’s professional image or self-concept, thereby influencing nurses’ actions and performance.

Process of interaction

The dynamic of professionalism is also reflected in the process of interaction. Dehghani et al. [ 26 ]noted that nursing professionalism means the appropriate interaction of the individual and the workplace and the maintenance of interpersonal communication.

Culture oriented

One study showed that altruism is an essential element of medical professionalism in Asia or North America but not Europe [ 27 ]. In China, medical professionalism was influenced by its longstanding Confucian traditions [ 28 ]. Therefore, any definitions of professionalism should match its rooted culture and be validated with respect to the culture and context in which it is applied [ 60 ].

The connotation of nursing professionalism

Professional, having a systematic nursing knowledge system.

The nursing process is considered a method for solving problems or dilemmas in a logical and scientific manner [ 11 ]. Freidson [ 29 ] (2001) noted that professionals perform their specialized work only with the required training and experience. Professionals have specific, tacit, almost esoteric knowledge to do their work [ 61 ]. Miller et al. [ 7 ] considered that a formal university education with a scientific background is critical for professionalism in nursing.

Professional certification

Nurses actively seek specialty certification given their personal commitment to the nursing profession [ 30 ]. Specialty certification promotes nursing professionalism. When attaining the highest levels of clinical knowledge, nursing professionalism also indicates personal responsibility and dedication to best practices [ 31 ].

Lifelong learning and participation in continuing education

Due to professional and ethical obligations, nurses should sustain continuous professional growth and development to maintain individual competence. Professional growth in nursing requires lifelong learning. Lifelong learning includes continuing education and self‐study, seeking advanced degrees, etc. [ 62 ].

Continuing education is one of the indicators of professionalism. Professionals keep up with the latest developments in the field and partake in continuing education. Additionally, continuing education is as important as other criteria for increasing professionalism in nursing [ 7 , 32 ]. Ongoing education brings fresh knowledge to health care, consequently leading to more efficient and quality service for people.

Evidence-based practice

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a hallmark of professionalism [ 33 ]. Dollaghan [ 63 ] (2004) reported that we identify and use the highest quality scientific evidence as an integral part of our efforts to provide the best patient care; EBP is a knowledge base that responds to specific clinical issues in a clear, intelligent, and serious manner while considering clinical practice in the context of the highest-quality scientific evidence available.

Innovation in nursing helps to improve patient care quality and improve nurses’ job performance [ 64 ]. Shen et al. [ 34 ] noted that innovative education plays an important role in the professional quality of undergraduate nursing students.

Striving for excellence

Striving for excellence is a requirement and attribute of nursing professionalism. There is a growing need in nursing practice to possess knowledge and skills in quality improvement science, translational research, and implementation science [ 35 ]. Clinical nurses have the same responsibilities as nursing scientists.

Caring is considered the core attribute of nursing professionalism

The practice of caring is central to nursing [ 65 ]. Caring is defined as the moral ideal of nursing [ 36 ]. Therefore, caring is an important core attribute of nursing professionalism.

Creating a caring-healing environment

Nurses devoted to creating a caring-healing environment embody professionalism. Caring means nurses should create a healing environment at all levels by providing a supportive, protective environment as well as a corrective mental, physical, societal, and spiritual environment for patients. People’s basic needs include a clean environment, comfort measures, safety concerns, and feeling safe or protected [ 65 ].

Displaying kindness/concern/empathy for others

A nurse is defined as someone caring for the ill within the hospital setting [ 66 ]. Caring means showing or having compassion, concern and empathy for others [ 37 ]. Caring behaviours are an interactive and mental process between patients and nurses [ 38 ]. Displaying kindness and concern for others is shown by love, compassion, support and involvement [ 39 ].

Using all methods of knowing support and involvement

‘Human problems reside in ambiguity, paradox, and impermanence’. Therefore, suffering, healing, miraculous cures, and synchronicity are all part of knowing support and involvement.

Researchers suggest that nursing comprises Caritas Nursing, Energy Nursing, Transpersonal Nursing, Holistic Nursing, or Contemplative Nursing…… It goes beyond ordinary nursing. Nursing should have higher standards with excellence for caring, healing, and peace in the world. Therefore, caring means using all methods of knowing support and involvement [ 65 ].

Embracing the unknowns and miracles in life and practising loving

Nursing is a special profession. Nurses confront special circumstances daily and witness people’s struggles with life and death. Everyone has his or her own specific story about his or her experiences and predicaments. Each person seeks his or her own meanings to find inner peace and balance in the midst of fear, doubts, despair, and unknowns. Therefore, the care of nurses is not to blindly sacrifice their own needs but to be a real nurse, embracing the unknowns and miracles in life and caring for patients [ 65 ].

The central tenet of professionalism is to put the needs and best interest of others over self-interests. Altruism is an engagement in caring acts towards others without expecting something in return [ 67 ].

Patients first

To be altruistic means to put others’ needs before your own. Altruism is the selfless concern for others and doing things with the other person’s well-being in mind [ 40 ].

During pandemics, nurses were considered to have a high sense of duty and dedication to patient care [ 41 ]. Front-line nurses perceive high work engagement, especially in self-dedication [ 42 ]. Grøthe et al. [ 43 ] showed that cancer patients in a palliative unit appreciate nurses who have the most dedication and expertise characteristics.

Public service

Due to a strong sense of civic and social responsibility, nurses participate in public service. Nurses volunteer as participants in summer camps, schools, or health-care teams. Nurses are also committed to responding to large-scale crises, such as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, as well as national and international relief efforts, such as tsunamis and Hurricane Katrina [ 44 ].

Disaster and infectious disease rescue

Individuals involved in providing disaster relief face many challenges, experience fatigue and personal suffering, and encounter numerous personal stories of life and death [ 45 ]. Nurses have played a significant role in the fight against infectious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic [ 68 ]. Nurses are closest with patients. Nurses provide intensive care, regularly assessing and monitoring airways, tubes, medications, and physical therapy. Nurses are also devoted to reducing complications. Nurses assist with daily living activities when patients are unable to care for themselves [ 46 ].

Community service

In addition, emphasizing professionalism means respecting values and commitment to community service delivery [ 69 ].

According to Walker and Avant [ 17 ], cases help further clarify concepts.

Model cases (a real case example)

Model cases help demonstrate all the defining attributes of a concept and helps to better articulate its meaning [ 17 ].

MS A is a 63-year-old nursing director. She worked in clinical nursing and management for 42 years. As she progressed from a new nurse to a nursing expert, she gradually poured her enthusiasm (Multidimensional: Attitudes) into nursing work (Dynamic). She believes that the core of nursing professionalism in China is dedication and responsibility (Culture oriented). In 2020, COVID-19 broke out in Wuhan, China. She led a team to Wuhan to provide support (Multidimensional: Behaviours), reflecting the spirit of altruism (Altruism). She actively promoted exchanges and cooperation among disciplines and the development of academic conferences. She guided students to pay attention to practical innovation and develop evidence-based innovations (Professional). Although she is retired, she still imparts knowledge and experience to students everywhere (Multidimensional: Behaviours). She stated that the development of nursing professionalism is very difficult and requires nursing education and role models. (Multidimensional: Knowledge). The role of a nurse is like that of a mother, bringing care to the people (Caring).

Borderline cases (a real case example)

Borderline cases provide the examples that contain the most defining attributes of the concept [ 17 ].

B is a novice nurse. When working in the infection ward, she was so worried about being infected. She was reluctant to care for patients and wanted to escape from the ward environment. Fortunately, her nurse manager fully understood her situation and helped her adapt to work and reduce her anxiety. B observed that her nurse manager had been helping patients solve problems and giving them comfort and hope. This prompted her to think about what nursing truly means. In 2020, she volunteered to help COVID-19 patients (Altruism).

Related cases (a real case example)

Related cases are related to the concept but do not contain all its defining attributes [ 17 ].

C is a novice nurse. After graduating from nursing school, he became a nurse in the emergency department. He saw many patients who died or recovered, which made him realize the importance of caring (Caring). He said that emergency nurses need strong professionalism (Multidimensional: Attitudes). He participated in social service activities (Multidimensional: Behaviours), for example, promoting knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (Altruism) in the community. After working for five years, he returned to school for a master’s degree to help the head nurse conduct nursing research or evidence-based practice (Professional). In his Asian cultural milieu, his is embarrassed about his identity as a male nurse (Culture oriented), but he believes he can do well.

Contrary cases (a fictional case example)

A contrary case does not include any defined attributes of the concept [ 17 ].

D is a nurse in paediatrics. She disliked nursing when she was a nursing student and even did enjoy communicating with patients (poor dynamics). She was exhausted after work and felt her life was out of balance. One of the values of the hospital where she worked was dedication, which confused her (Poor culture orientation). She considers it unrealistic to require professionalism (Poor nursing professionalism knowledge) and thinks that taking care of new-borns is particularly troublesome (Poor nursing professionalism attitudes), so she is always careless in her work (Multidimensional: poor attitude). D’s child felt ill last week, so she secretly reduced a patient’s medicine (Poor nursing professionalism behaviours) and took the remaining medicine home for her child (lack of altruism). She stopped doing so after her colleagues sensed something strange. One day, a baby kept crying; D reported it to the doctor and did not make further observations (Poor professional). When the shift nurse took over, she observed abnormal limb activity on one side of the child. The child’s family asked the nurse to bear legal responsibility. D said it was no big deal; she no longer wanted to be a nurse (Poor dynamic, professionalism not established).

• Antecedents

Antecedents are events that occur before the intended concept [ 17 ].

Macro antecedents

Jin [ 28 ] suggested that the conceptualization of professionalism is influenced by culture. Employees defined organizational culture underlies an organization’s values and beliefs [ 70 ]. Nursing professionalism may be supported by a variety of cultures, so a firm understanding of and personal congruence with each particular culture is essential [ 71 ].

Religious beliefs

Religiosity is another contributing factor in the cultivation of altruism [ 72 ]. Taylor noted that nurses’ job motivation and views of the patient and nursing services are affected by their religious beliefs [ 73 ].

Micro antecedents

Snizek [ 74 ] (1972) reported that devotion to work is a professional value originating from a sense of calling to the field. Liaw et al. [ 75 ] (2016) found that nursing students who had caring and compassionate qualities as the most common personal characteristics strongly believed that they were called to nursing.

Individuals who pursue excellence in the workplace may be described as motivated and devoted to their work. Attree [ 76 ] (2005) noted that nurses’ perceived lack of autonomy over their practice could impact quality of care.

Personal characteristics

Nursing professionalism is influenced by various factors, such as educational background, personal interests, professional satisfaction, and professional values [ 77 , 78 , 79 ]. In each country, nurses with higher educational levels may have a higher level of professionalism [ 22 ]. Professionalism is thus a trait related to personal character and upbringing [ 80 ]. Researchers [ 81 ] have demonstrated that professionalism is positively associated with female gender, striving for professional goals, and acceptability. One study found that people’s values tend to shift to emphasize altruism over personal gain as they age [ 79 ]. Nursing professionalism is closely associated with personality traits (extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) [ 82 ].

Consequences of nursing professionalism

Consequences are events or incidents that are the result of the occurrence of a concept [ 17 ].

Consequences for patients 

Professionalism is one of the decisive factors that critically influences patient satisfaction [ 50 ]. Professionalism can also improve practising nurse career development and the quality of service [ 81 ].

Consequences for nurses

Studies have shown that professionalism and a sense of belonging with colleagues and managers affect the satisfaction [ 83 ] and retention rate of nursing students in academic institutions [ 84 ]. Izumi et al. [ 85 ] (2006) found that good nurses felt pride and happiness in caring for patients closely related to their professionalism.

Empirical references

As the last step to concept analysis, empirical references can further clarify the concept and facilitate its measurement [ 17 ].

Hall’s professionalism inventory scale

Hall’s Professionalism Inventory Scale [ 6 ] identified five attitudinal attributes of professionalism: (a) use of professional organizations as major referents, (b) belief in public service, (c) self-regulation, (d) a sense of calling to the field, and (e) autonomy. Nursing researchers used Hall’s Professionalism Inventory Scale to measure professionalism in nursing [ 22 , 47 ]. Snizek [ 74 ] (1972) modified the professionalism scale to more closely match the clinical context of nursing and better reflect the professionalism of nursing staff.

Kramer’s index of professionalism

Kramer (1974) [ 86 ] constructed an index of professionalism that includes indicators of behaviours, such as the number of professional books published, subscriptions to professional journals, hours spent on professional reading, continuing education, participation in professional organizations, number of professional publications, speeches given, committee activity, and participation in research.

The behavioural inventory for professionalism in nursing (BIPN)

The Behavioural Inventory for Professionalism in Nursing [ 7 ] (BIPN) identifies professional behaviours and values among nurses. The nine categories in the BIPN are (1) educational background; (2) adherence to the code of ethics; (3) participation in the professional organization; (4) continuing education and competency; (5) communication and publication; (6) autonomy and self-regulation; (7) community service; (8) theory use, development, and evaluation; and (9) research involvement.

Definition of the concept

Based on the present analysis, we define nursing professionalism as follows: ‘Nursing professionalism is a multidimensional concept manifested by the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours that underlie successful clinical practice. Nursing professionalism is dynamicized through a process of socialization in formal nursing education. This feature is also reflected in the process of interaction. Therefore, nursing professionalism should match its rooted culture.

The connotations of nursing professionalism include professional, caring, and altruism. These connotations are detailed as follows:

Possesses a systematic nursing knowledge system; professional certification

Exhibits lifelong learning and participation

Participates in evidence-based practice

Demonstrates innovation

Strives for excellence

Creates a caring-healing environment

Displays kindness/concern/empathy for others

Uses various methods of knowing support and involvement

Embraces the unknowns and miracles in life and practices loving

Patient-first

A conceptual model of nursing professionalism is shown in Fig.  2 .

Antecedents, attributes, and consequences of nursing professionalism

Defining the connotation of nursing professionalism

Nursing professionalism has been defined as professional, caring, and altruistic.

Professional values are characteristic of nursing professionalism. Nursing work requires rich knowledge and scientific evidence-based work to improve the quality of nursing services for patients. Nurses need lifelong learning, qualification certification, and participation in academic and practical activities.

Caring is regarded as the core of professionalism. This study suggests creating a caring-healing environment, displaying kindness/concern/empathy for others, employing all methods of knowing support and involvement, embracing the unknowns and miracles in life and practising loving to care for people to obtain high professionalism. This study notes that nursing professionalism emphasizes care for the individual patient and that the nurse does everything possible to create a caring and healing environment for patients. In different health systems worldwide, nurses have incorporated caring about nursing professionalism into everything they do. This characteristic is consistent with Nightingale's view that “Nurses need to be sensitive. A nurse must use her brain, heart and hands to create healing environments to care for the patient’s body, mind and spirit” [ 87 , 88 ].

Nursing has an altruistic nature, and people interested in helping patients are attracted to this profession [ 89 ]. However, some studies have shown that altruistic care is equated with self-sacrifice, self-denial, and unidirectional and unconditional care [ 90 ]. Care for a nurse’s own needs is equally important, but nurses should be able to put aside their own needs when required to focus on the needs of others [ 91 ]. Nurses should view self-care and altruism as dialectical. Self-realization and providing care for others are not conflicting concepts [ 92 ].

Defining the attributes of nursing professionalism

In this study, we defined nursing professionalism as multidimensional, dynamic, and culture oriented.

Nursing professionalism is a multidimensional concept that includes knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour. Previous studies have defined professionalism as the degree of commitment by individuals to the values and behavioural characteristics of a specific career identity [ 6 , 7 ]. However, current research on nursing professionalism is mostly single dimensional. The Behavioural Inventory for Professionalism in Nursing (BIPN) is based on Miller’s model and is used to measure professional behaviours among nurses [ 7 ]. Hall’s Professionalism Inventory Scale [ 6 ] identified five attitudinal attributes of professionalism. This study highlights that it is also necessary to focus on the knowledge dimension of professionalism. Nursing students and nurses should first understand the nursing professionalism that is necessary to become a nurse, which may be the first step in developing professionalism. Nursing students and nurses need to know the values that are necessary to practice the nursing and not have vague impressions. Some studies have shown that nursing students or nurses learn values and norms in informal trainings [ 93 ]. Therefore, this study suggests that the development of assessment tools for the knowledge dimension of professionalism is also necessary. Multidimensional evaluation tools are not available for nursing professionalism. Thus, clarifying the multidimensional nature of nursing professionalism will contribute to the development of multidimensional evaluation tools.

Moreover, understanding the dynamics of professionalism is helpful for cultivating nursing professionalism in stages and steps. Inquiries into medical professionalism should be integrated into the culture of social media interaction [ 94 ]. Nursing educators and managers should dynamically cultivate nursing professionalism in their interactions.

Differences in the connotation of nursing professionalism are noted in different cultures. This study suggests that the cultivation and evaluation of nursing professionalism need to consider the cultural attributes of different regions and countries.

Future research directions

Exploring the antecedents of nursing professionalism can help schools or hospitals cultivate nursing professionalism and develop courses and specific measures.

The macro antecedents of nursing professionalism include culture and religion, and the micro antecedents include calling, autonomy, and personal characteristics. Some researchers have explored methods to cultivate nursing professionalism; for example, role modelling, feedback, group discussions, case-based discussions, reflection, holding ethical rounds, and reports potentially represent more effective methods [ 95 ]. Some researchers have tried to enhance professionalism through social media [ 96 ]. One of the findings this study is that nursing professionalism is complex and its cultivation difficult. Studies have shown that didactic lectures are ineffective for teaching professionalism [ 97 ]. The development of true nursing professionalism requires national advocacy and the immersion of a good professional environment that incorporates professionalism into daily nursing practice. Role modelling is considered an effective method for developing professionalism in nursing [ 98 ]. Therefore, this study suggest that studies should be actively conducted to deeply discuss the causes and processes affecting professionalism and to cultivate and intervene at macro and micro levels as well as the key time periods and populations that form professionalism to truly shape the formation of professionalism. Moreover, an environment for building professionalism [ 99 ] is very important. Williams [ 100 ] (2015) considered that the development of professionalism should begin as early as the first semester of an undergraduate nursing course. One of the themes of nursing students’ professional identity development is ‘doing-learning-knowing-speaking’. Students should develop professionalism in all these areas of nursing practice.

The relationship between nursing professionalism and health outcomes or nurses’ human resources needs to be further studied.

Our research suggests that the ultimate goal of nursing professionalism is to serve patients with professional knowledge and special professional quality. The public has become increasingly aware of certain possibilities, limitations, and consequences of professionalism. COVID-19 significantly increased the discussion of professionalism and patient outcomes.

Improving professionalism has a positive impact on job satisfaction, professional quality of life, and the willingness to continue in the profession [ 101 , 102 , 103 ]. Therefore, it is important to improve support for nurses, create a good environment for professionalism, and establish a training system for professionalism, thus paving the way to enhance training in professionalism and create opportunities for nurses.

Implications for nursing management

In April 2020, the World Health Organization (2020) issued the First State of the World’s Nursing 2020 [ 104 ]. The report highlighted that nursing professionals are the largest occupational group in the health sector, numbering 27.9 million worldwide. Nurses spend more time with patients than any other health care professionals [ 105 ].

Worldwide, nursing professionalism is considered important and associated with expectations. This study clarifies the concept of nursing professionalism and contributes to a framework for developing a theoretical model as well as instruments to measure the concept. A conceptual model of nursing professionalism may increase nurse managers’ insight into nurses’ behaviours and values, creating a good working environment.

Nurse managers should integrate nursing professionalism into their philosophy, mission, and objectives and provide necessary resources, tools, and projects to develop professionalism among nurses. Nurses should cultivate professionalism to provide good nursing services to patients. Further research should explore the relationship between nursing professionalism and patient health outcomes and formulate effective training programs for professionalism.

Limitations

This conceptual analysis has some limitations. First, research on nursing professionalism published in English may be conducted in different countries and cultures. However, it is also necessary to obtain a more comprehensive and mature concept of the study of different national languages. Second, the lack of research on the combination of all elements of professionalism may lead to overestimation of the impact of these subelements on professionalism. Third, the concept analysis focused on the research process and the researchers’ perspectives, possibly reflecting a lack of other professional understandings of nursing professionalism in medical groups. In addition, the concept analysis included a risk of selection bias, extraction bias, and analysis bias because the study selection process, data extraction, and analysis were all conducted by two researchers. Despite these risk, the studies were all described accurately and systematically.

Nursing professionalism is one of the important foundations of clinical nursing. It is multidimensional, dynamic, and culture oriented. Based on the analysis, nursing professionalism has been defined as providing people care based on principles of professionalism, caring, and altruism. The definition, attributes, antecedents, consequences, and reference analysis of the experience of nursing professionalism determined in this study provide a theoretical basis for future research. This information can be used to evaluate nursing professionalism, develop assessment tools, or generate theory-based training courses and interventions.

Availability of data and materials

Data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Hinshaw AS, Smeltzer CH, Atwood JR. Innovative retention strategies for nursing staff. J Nurs Adm. 1987;17:6.

Article   Google Scholar  

Ohman A. Team social cohesion, professionalism, and patient-centeredness: Gendered care work, with special reference to elderly care—A mixed methods study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017;17:381.

Sahman I. A field study related to determine the effect of professionalism of private hospital management on institutionalization process. Master’s thesis, Gazi University Graduate School of Social Sciences, Department of Management Hospital Management Department; 2008.

Huber TH. Nursing professionalism Kentucky Nurse Association. 2015;63(1):15.

Google Scholar  

Hintistan S, Topcuoglu B. Professionalism characteristics of nurses working in internal medicine clinics continuing education. Universal J Public Health. 2017;5:1.

Hall RH. Professionalization and bureaucratization. Am Sociol Rev. 1968;33:1.

Miller BK, Adams D, Beck L. A behavioral inventory for professionalism in nursing. J Prof Nurs. 1993;9:5.

Yeun, E. J., Kwon, Y. M., & Ahn, O. H. (2005). Taehan Kanho Hakhoe chi, 35(6).

Yoder L. Professionalism in nursing. MEDSURG. Nurs. 2017;26:5.

Yamamoto T, Kawaguchi A. Review of the concept of medical professionalism. Bulletin of Faculty of Education: Hokkaido University; 2016. p. 126.

Schwirian PM. Professionalization of Nursing: Current Issues and Trends. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott; 1998.

Swick HM. Medical professionalism and the clinical anatomist. Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.). 2006;19(5):393–402. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.20258 .

Al-Eraky MM. Twelve Tips for teaching medical professionalism at all levels of medical education. Med Teach. 2015;37:11.

Sullivan TM, Thiessen AK. Occupational therapy students’ perspectives of professionalism: An exploratory study. Open J Occup Ther. 2015;3:4.

Aguilar A, Stupans I, Scutter S, King S. Exploring professionalism: the professional values of Australian occupational therapists. Aust Occup Ther J. 2012;59:3.

Adam K, Peters S, Chipchase L. Knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required by occupational therapist and physiotherapist beginning practitioners in work-related practice: a systematic review. Australian occupational therapy journal. 2013;60(2):76–84. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12006 .

Walker LO, Avant KC. Concept Analysis. In: Walker, L.O., Avant, K.C. (Eds.), Strategies For Theory Construction in Nursing, 5th ed.. London: Pearson; 2014.

Weaver K, Mitcham C. Nursing concept analysis in North America: state of the art. Nurs Philos [Internet]. 2008;9(3):180–94. Available from: http://doi.wiley.com/ https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-769X.2008.00359.x .

Meleis AI. Theoretical nursing: Development and progress: Fifth edition; 2012.

Nuopponen A. Methods of concept analysis - a comparative study. LSP Journal, -, Language for special purposes, professional communication, knowledge management and cognition; 2010.

Fogarty TJ, Dirsmith MW. Human Resource Development Quarterly. 2001;12(3):247–66.

Wynd CA. Current factors contributing to professionalism in nursing. Journal of professional nursing: official journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 2003;19(5):251–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/s8755-7223(03)00104-2 .

Takada N, Asakura K, Sugiyama S. Developing and validating the Japanese version of professional attitude scale for nurses. Int Nurs Rev. 2021;68(1):24–33.

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Miller BK. A model for professionalism in nursing. Today's OR nurse. 1988;10(9):18-23.

Hinshaw AS. Socialization and resocialization of nurses for professional nursing practice. Papers presented at the Sixteenth Conference of the Council of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 1976. (1977). NLN publications. 1977;(15-1659):1–41.

Dehghani A, Salsali M, Cheraghi MA. Professionalism in Iranian Nursing: Concept Analysis. Int J Nur Knowl. 2016;27:2.

Chandratilake M, McAleer S, Gibson J. Cultural similarities and differences in medical professionalism: a multi-region study. Med Educ. 2012;46:3.

Jin P. The physician charter on medical professionalism from the Chinese perspective: a comparative analysis. J Med Ethics. 2015;41:7.

Bianic TL. Eliot freidson, professionalism, the third logic: on the practice of knowledge, the university of chicago press, chicago, 2001, 251p. 2003;45(3):0-426.

Lamonte M. Test-taking strategies for CNOR certification. AORN J. 2007;85(2):315–32.

Stucky CH, Wymer JA. Progressing toward specialty certification as the National Standard for Nursing. Nurs forum. 2020;55:3.

Karadağ A, Hisar F, Elbaş NO. The level of professionalism among nurses in Turkey. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2007;39:4.

Cornett BS. A principal calling: professionalism and health care services. J Commun Disord. 2006;39:4.

Shen Y, Xie W, Wang X, Qu J, Zhou T, Li Y, Mao X, Hou P, Liu Y. Impact of innovative education on the professionalism of undergraduate nursing students in China. Nurse Educ Today. 2021;98:104647.

Boehm LM, Stolldorf DP, Jeffery AD. Implementation Science Training and Resources for Nurses and Nurse Scientists. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2020;52:1.

Watson J. Nursing: Human science and human care. New York: National League for Nursing; 1988.

Collins H. Collins English Dictionary – Complete and unabridged. 12th ed. London: Harper Collins Publishers; 2014.

Papastavrou E, Karlou C, Tsangari H, Efstathiou G, Sousa VD, Merkouris A, et al. Cross-cultural validation and psychometric properties of the greek version of the caring behaviors inventory: a methodological study. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 2011.

Jooste K. The principles and practice of nursing and health care. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers; 2010.

Kubsch S, Tyczkowski B, Passel C. Altruism and the Difficult Patient. Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses’ Association. 2021;39(1):43–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010120933123 .

Fernandez R, Lord H, Halcomb E, Moxham L, Middleton R, Alananzeh I, Ellwood L. Implications for COVID-19: A systematic review of nurses’ experiences of working in acute care hospital settings during a respiratory pandemic. Int J Nurs Stud. 2020;111: 103637.

Zhang M, Zhang P, Liu Y, Wang H, Hu K, Du M. Influence of perceived stress and workload on work engagement in front-line nurses during COVID-19 pandemic. J Clin Nurs. 2021;30:11–2.

Goldie J. Assessment of professionalism: a consolidation of current thinking. Medical teacher. 2013;35:2.

Riley JM, Beal JA. Public service: Experienced nurses’ views on social and civic responsibility. Nursing outlook. 2010;58:3.

McDonald L. Florence Nightingale and Irish nursing. J Clin Nurs. 2014;23(17–18):2424–33.

Liu Q, Luo D, Haase JE, Guo Q, Wang XQ, Liu S, Xia L, Liu Z, Yang J, Yang BX. The experiences of health-care providers during the COVID-19 crisis in China: a qualitative study. Lancet Global Health. 2020;8:6.

Kim-Godwin YS, Baek HC, Wynd CA. Factors influencing professionalism in nursing among Korean American registered nurses. J  Prof Nurs  2010;26:4.

Merriam-Webster. (2019). Professionalism. https://www.merriam webster.com/dictionary/professionalism.

Cambridge Dictionary. (2019). Professionalism.  https://www.dictionary.

Hwang JI, Lou F, Han SS, Cao F, Kim WO, Li P. Professionalism: the major factor influencing job satisfaction among Korean and Chinese nurses. Int Nurs Rev. 2009;56:3.

Zulipiye T, Waili A, d., Litifu, K., Jingying, R., & Yi, Y. Study on the current situation and influencing factors of nursing students’professional spirit in a mescal college in Xinjian. Chinese J Med Educ Res. 2018;17:7.

Jha V, Bekker HL, Duffy SR, Roberts TE. Perceptions of professionalism in medicine: a qualitative study. Medical education. 2006;40(10):1027–1036. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006.02567.x .

Qian W, Zhiguang D. Scientific connotation of Nightingale′s spirit and its inheritance and promotion.  Chinese Nurs Res. 2019;33:19.

Cain J, Romanelli F. E-professionalism: a new paradigm for a digital age - sciencedirect. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 2009;1(2):66-70.

Villa-García L, Rodriguez Blanco O. Social networks in health care: Ethical implications and nursing professionalism. Las redes sociales en el cuidado de la salud: implicaciones éticas y profesionalismo enfermero. Enfermeria clinica (English Edition). 2020;30(1):66–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.08.006 .

KRAMER, & MARLENE. Reality shock: why nurses leave nursing. American Journal of Nursing. 1975;75(5):891.

Barnhoorn P, Houtlosser M, Ottenhoff-de Jonge M, Essers G, Numans M, Kramer A. A practical framework for remediating unprofessional behavior and for developing professionalism competencies and a professional identity. Med Teach. 2019;41:3.

Ghadirian F, Salsali M, Cheraghi MA. Nursing professionalism: An evolutionary concept analysis. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research. 2014;19(1):1-10.

Evetts J. Professionalism: Value and ideology. Current Sociology. 2013;61:5–6.

Hodges BD, Ginsburg S, Cruess R, Cruess S, Delport R, Hafferty F, Ho MJ, Holmboe E, Holtman M, Ohbu S, Rees C, Ten Cate O, Tsugawa Y, Van Mook W, Wass V, Wilkinson T, Wade W. Assessment of professionalism: recommendations from the Ottawa 2010 Conference. Med Teach. 2011;33:5.

Kruse FM, Ligtenberg WMR, Oerlemans AJM, Groenewoud S, Jeurissen PPT. How the logics of the market, bureaucracy, professionalism and care are reconciled in practice: an empirical ethics approach. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020;20(1):1024. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05870-7 .

Bell L. 2. code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. AJN The American Journal of Nursing. 2003;103(4):84-84.

Dollaghan C. Evidence-based practice: myths and realities. Asha Leader. 2004;9:7.

Weng RH, Chen WP, Huang CY, Hung CH, Hsu CT. Can nurse innovation improve customer perception of service quality and experience? J Clin Nurs. 2016;25:13–4.

Watson J. Nursing: The philosophy of science and caring. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Company; 1979.

Oxford English Dictionary. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.oed.com

Swank JM, Ohrt JH, Robinson E. A qualitative exploration of counseling students' perception of altruism. Journal of Humanistic Counseling. 2013;52(1):23-38.

WHO. Disease Outbreaks. Available online: http://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/en/ (Accessed 13 July 2020).

Kim-Godwin YS, Baek HC, Wynd CA. Factors influencing professionalism in nursing among Korean American registered nurses. J Prof Nurs. 2010;26:4.

Braskamp LA, Maehr ML. Spectrum: An organizational development tool [Manual]. Champaign, IL: Metritech, Inc.cambridge.org/fr/dictionnaire/anglais/professionalism; 1985.

Del Bueno DJ, Vincent PM. Organizational culture: how important is it? J Nurs Adm. 1986;16:10.

Alavi A, Zargham-Boroujeni A, Yousefy A, Bahrami M. Altruism, the values dimension of caring self-efficacy concept in Iranian pediatric nurses. Journal of education and health promotion. 2017;6:8.

Taylor EJ, Carr MF. Nursing ethics in the seventh-day adventist religious tradition. Nurs Ethics. 2009;16:6.

Snizek W. Hall’s professionalism scale: An empirical reassessment. Am Sociol Rev. 1972;37:1.

Liaw SY, Wu LT, Holroyd E, Wang W, Lopez V, Lim S, Chow YL. Why not nursing? Factors influencing healthcare career choice among Singaporean students. Int Nurs Rev. 2016;63:4.

Attree M. Nursing agency and governance: registered nurses’ perceptions. J Nurs Manag. 2005;13:5.

Freund AM, Blanchard-Fields F. Age-related differences in altruism across adulthood: making personal financial gain versus contributing to the public good. Dev Psychol. 2014;50:4.

Wu Q, Sun X, Shi Y, Zhang S. The research progress of nurse professionalism and its influencing factors. Chin Med Ethics. 2015;28:04.

Tanaka M, Taketomi K, Yonemitsu Y, Kawamoto R. Professional behaviours and factors contributing to nursing professionalism among nurse managers. J Nurs Manag. 2016;24:1.

Birden H, Glass N, Wilson I, Harrison M, Usherwood T, Nass D. Teaching professionalism in medical education: a Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) systematic review. BEME Guide No. 25. Medical teacher. 2013;35(7):e1252-66.

Selic P, Cerne A, Klemenc-Ketis Z, Petek D, Svab I. Attitudes toward professionalism in medical students and its associations with personal characteristics and values: what actually makes a difference? [Response to Letter]. Advances in medical education and practice. 2019;10:689–692. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S227510 .

Masmouei B, Bazvand H, Harorani M, Bazrafshan MR, Karami Z, Jokar M. Relationship between personality traits and nursing professionalism. Journal of Client-Centered Nursing Care(3). 2020.

Jeffreys MR. Jeffreys’s Nursing Universal Retention and Success model: overview and action ideas for optimizing outcomes A-Z. Nurse Educ Today. 2015;35:3.

Welling S. Applying the Constructs from the Sense of Belongingness to Improve Job Satisfaction and Employee Retention. Sigma Theta Tau International's 26th International Nursing Research Congress. STTI; 2016.

Izumi S, Konishi E, Yahiro M, Kodama M. Japanese patients’ descriptions of “the good nurse”: personal involvement and professionalism. ANS Adv Nurs Sci. 2006;29:2.

Kramer M. Reality shock: Why nurses leave nursing. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 1974.

Riegel F, Crossetti MDGO, Martini JG, Nes AAG. Florence Nightingale’s theory and her contributions to holistic critical thinking in nursing. Rev Bras Enferm. 2021;74(2): e20200139. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2020-0139 .

Nightingale. Notes on nursing : what it is and what it is not - commemorative edition; 1992.

Smith R, Lagarde M, Blaauw D, Goodman C, English M, Mullei K, Pagaiya N, Tangcharoensathien V, Erasmus E, Hanson K. Appealing to altruism: an alternative strategy to address the health workforce crisis in developing countries? J Public Health (Oxf). 2013;35:1.

Pettersen T. The ethics of care: normative structures and empirical implications. Health Care Anal. 2011;19:1.

Hem MH, Halvorsen K, Nortvedt P. Altruism and mature care: some rival moral considerations in care ethics. Nurs Ethics. 2014;21:7.

Van Nistelrooij I, Leget C. Against dichotomies: On mature care and self-sacrifice in care ethics. Nurs Ethics. 2017;24:6.

Lempp H, Seale C. The hidden curriculum in undergraduate medical education: Qualitative study of medical students perceptions of teaching. BMJ. 2004;329:770–3.

Hsieh JG, Kuo LC, Wang YW. Learning medical professionalism - the application of appreciative inquiry and social media. Medical education online. 2019;24:1.

Birden HH, Usherwood T. “They liked it if you said you cried”: how medical students perceive the teaching of professionalism. Med J Aust. 2013;199:6.

Kind T, Patel PD, Lie D, Chretien KC. Twelve tips for using social media as a medical educator. Med Teach. 2014;36:4.

Lockman JL, Yehya N, Schwartz AJ, Cronholm PF. Professionalism in pediatric anesthesiology: Affirmation of a definition based on results of a nationally administered survey of pediatric anesthesiologists. Paediatr Anaesth. 2019;29:4.

Vinales J. J. (2015). The mentor as a role model and the importance of belongingness. British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing), 24(10), 532–535. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2015.24.10.532 .

Phillips RL, Jr. The Built Environment for Professionalism. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine: JABFM. 2020;33(Suppl):S57–S61. https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2020.S1.190441 .

Williams MG, Burke LL. Doing Learning Knowing Speaking: How Beginning Nursing Students Develop Their Identity as Nurses. Nurs Educ Perspect. 2015;36:1.

Manojlovich M, Ketefian S. The effects of organizational culture on nursing professionalism: implications for health resource planning. The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieres. 2002;33(4):15–34.

Jang I, Kim Y, Kim K. Professionalism and professional quality of life for oncology nurses. Journal of clinical nursing. 2016;25(19–20):2835–45.

Rimmer A. Improving professionalism will increase job satisfaction, says RCP. BMJ (Clinical research ed). 2018;363: k5216.

World Health Organization. State of the World’s Nursing Report – 2020. (2020–04–06) [2020–05–10], Available from: https://www.who.int/publications-detail/nursing-report-2020 [in English].

Butler R, Monsalve M, Thomas GW, Herman T, Segre AM, Polgreen PM, Suneja M. Estimating Time Physicians and Other Health Care Workers Spend with Patients in an Intensive Care Unit Using a Sensor Network. Am J Med. 2018;131:8.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Hui Yang for the great efforts made in designing the research. We would like to thank linbo Li for providing valuable suggestions for this study.

Postgraduate Education Innovation Program of Shanxi Province in China (No. 2020BY067).

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Nursing College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, People’s Republic of China

Huili Cao, Yanming Wu, Yifei Du, Xingyue He, Qiaohong Wang & Hui Yang

Linfen Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University (Linfen People’s Hospital), Linfen, 041000, Shanxi, People’s Republic of China

The Third Peoples Hospital of Taiyuan, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, People’s Republic of China

The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, People’s Republic of China

Yangjie Chen, Qiaohong Wang & Hui Yang

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

Hl C and HY made substantial contributions to conception and design. HL C, YJ S, YM W, YF D Collectioned and analysis the data. Hl C was a major contributor in writing the manuscript. XY H, YJ C, QH W revised it critically for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hui Yang .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Our study was approved by the ethical committee of The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University,Shanxi, China,(approval no. 2020K061).

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

There is no conflict of interest in this study.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Cao, H., Song, Y., Wu, Y. et al. What is nursing professionalism? a concept analysis. BMC Nurs 22 , 34 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-01161-0

Download citation

Received : 07 May 2022

Accepted : 23 December 2022

Published : 07 February 2023

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-01161-0

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Nursing professionalism
• Concept analysis
• Consequences

BMC Nursing

ISSN: 1472-6955

• General enquiries: [email protected]

Professionalism in Nursing and Role of Education Essay

Introduction, professionalism concerns.

Nursing is among the many careers where professionalism is of vital significance. The nursing profession depends on practitioners’ operation in a manner that characterizes the virtuousness of the wider discipline since all nurses have a code of ethics. Professionalism among nurses is imperative for enhanced patient outcome, and nurse educators ought to put emphasis on this fact for nursing to uphold professional practices (Balang, Burton, & Barlow, 2017). The nursing industry is extensive, comprises of different people in diverse situations and locations; this is where professionalism comes in handy attributable to the necessity of an element that connects all nurses. There is a fundamental need for human dignity and correspondence, which is a section of the anticipations of professionalism in nursing.

While undertaking their roles in a bid to ensure professionalism, nurses face numerous challenges. One of the greatest concerns is the diverse levels of education among the practising nurses (Yoder, 2017). Different educational levels might create a division among nurses if they do not strive to lessen its impact. In addition, the issue of gender may act as a challenge to nursing practice. For a long time, nursing has been perceived as a feminine profession. Nonetheless, in recent times, men are pursuing this career in a great way. This should be encouraged as a means of creating diversity and a wide pool of talent. The existing challenges should be carefully circumvented to provide grounds for nurses to put efforts into the enhancement of professionalism and reputation.

Patients have a belief that nurses in any place are competent and professional. This calls for nurses to uphold professionalism all the time so that patients remain assured of the availability of quality care wherever they are (Westrick, 2016). When patients are in need of the care of nurses, they do not have to know the nurse who will be attending to them in person, but they are always confident of receiving quality care irrespective of who the nurse is. Such confidence amounts to the professional reputation that nursing has acquired, and it is imperative that nurses continue to defend it. Professionalism in nursing compels nurses to comprehend that their discipline stretches past the individual and their joint effort is what ensures the positive patient outcome. On this note, professionalism drives nurses’ comprehension that they are a team and must operate jointly, not just with one another, but with other health professionals (from doctors to administrators) as well. Professional nursing practice is, therefore, having an undying dedication, passion, care, strong moral principles, sustained development of others and self, responsibility and liability for perceptive practice, and demonstration of the spirit of teamwork and flexibility.

Whenever people see nurses, they associate them with attributes such as patience and kindness. Though these are some of the vital qualities of nurses, they have to go further while seeking to maintain professionalism (Rexwinkel, Haenen, & Pilot, 2013). For instance, they require strong values and commitment to work in the best interest of patients at all times. Much anticipations rest on the shoulders of nurses, and this obliges them to go through proper training and operate in line with professional directives set for them. With the continued operation, nurses develop experience and skills for excellent services. This encompasses having a profound understanding of the theoretical frameworks that shape the profession. For instance, nurses should seek comprehension of different theories of care and their influence on the improvement of nursing practice. This ensures that nurses are in a position of making excellent decisions in their daily duties, which results in their overall professionalism.

Positive nurses’ state of mind is crucial for professionalism in nursing. Attitude is essential to the success of any endeavour, but it is vital to operating competently in the nursing profession. All nurses have to bear in mind that although their tasks may be stressful, it usually does not equal the anxiety generated by being a patient who is not confident of obtaining quality care or having hospitalized loved ones and not sure whether they are receiving proper medical attention. Though it is natural for nurses to become overwhelmed by their undertakings, it is essential that they do not allow it to influence the manner in which they provide patient care (Pan, Norris, Liang, Li, & Ho, 2013). If they choose to become dismissive or bad-tempered, the patients will feel disregarded and this could affect their attitude negatively or make them suffer desperation and dejection (Bisco, Cole, & Karl, 2017). Nurses must make efforts to approach all patients in an affable, cheerful, and caring style while leaving their personal interests behind when at work.

Integrity is vital for facilitated nursing professionalism. Similar to the way nurses are required to understand when to pull out in instances of conflict, they also have to be aware of when to stand firm. Professionalism demands nurses to operate as advocates for patients and must take up the responsibility of speaking out whenever they recognize an issue regarding the condition of a patient or find that he/she is not being given the required treatment. If the circumstances demand, nurses should report the occurrences of neglect or carelessness to the management (Pareek & Batra, 2015). On the same note, nurses have to examine their behaviour carefully while regularly assessing whether they are caring for patients in the best possible way, irrespective of being exhausted or stressed (Kim et al., 2017). Similarly, there is a need, to be honest with patients regarding diagnosis, prospects, and course of treatment.

Nurses must adhere to patient equality in their practice. Since nurses give care to patients from whichever race, religious background, nationality, or level of education, they have to treat them uniformly irrespective of aspects such as age or gender. Nurses have to avoid making presumptions concerning patients anchored in their looks (Öhman, Keisu, & Enberg, 2017). In its place, they should take time to study patients’ circumstances and history in an effort of providing care that best suits them (Lombarts, Plochg, Thompson, & Arah, 2014). For instance, if a nurse has earlier experienced problems while attending to an elderly patient, he/she must avoid assuming that all geriatric patients are problematical. Rather, a nurse ought to view every patient’s case as completely different from any other and strive to accord them utmost respect and concern.

Nursing is amid the numerous careers where professionalism is fundamental. The nursing sector is widespread, incorporates people from diverse situations and locations; this is where professionalism becomes pertinently linked to the requirement of a component that connects all nurses. Professionalism in nursing calls for endless enthusiasm, passion, care, strong ethical principles, constant development, responsibility, liability for perceptive practice, and expression of the spirit of solidarity and flexibility. Professional nurses should support workplace diversity and have a positive state of mind, patience, kindness, integrity, adherence to patient equality, strong values, and commitment to operate in the best interest of patients all the time.

Balang, R. V., Burton, R. L., & Barlow, N. A. (2017). Illuminating professionalism among nurses in their documentation within the Malaysia context: A qualitative study. International Journal of Business & Society , 18, 692-700.

Bisco, J. M., Cole, C., & Karl, J. B. (2017). The effect of government‐run healthcare on the salaries of nursing professionals in the US. Journal of Insurance Issues , 40 (2), 215-246.

Kim, Y., Jung, Y., Min, J., Song, E., Ok, J., Lim, C., Kim, K., & Kim, J. (2017). Development and validation of a nursing professionalism evaluation model in a career ladder system. PloS One, 12 (10), 1-14.

Lombarts, K. M., Plochg, T., Thompson, C. A., & Arah, O. A. (2014). Measuring professionalism in medicine and nursing: Results of a European survey. PloS One , 9 (5), 1-12.

Öhman, A., Keisu, B. I., & Enberg, B. (2017). Team social cohesion, professionalism, and patient-centeredness: Gendered care work, with special reference to elderly care–a mixed methods study. BMC Health Services Research , 17 (381), 1-12.

Pan, H., Norris, J., Liang, Y., Li, J., & Ho, M. (2013). Building a professionalism framework for healthcare providers in China: A nominal group technique study. Medical Teacher, 35 (10), e1531-e1536.

Pareek, B., & Batra, K. (2015). Factors influencing professionalism among nurse educators: A feasibility study. Baba Farid University Nursing Journal , 9 (2), 23-30.

Rexwinkel, T., Haenen, J., & Pilot, A. (2013). Evaluating the level of degree programmes in higher education: The case of nursing. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education , 38 (7), 857-874.

Westrick, S. J. (2016). Nursing students’ use of electronic and social media: Law, ethics, and e-professionalism. Nursing Education Perspectives , 37 (1), 16-22.

Yoder, L. (2017). Professionalism in nursing. MEDSURG Nursing . 26 (5), 293-294.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, June 24). Professionalism in Nursing and Role of Education. https://ivypanda.com/essays/professionalism-in-nursing-and-role-of-education/

"Professionalism in Nursing and Role of Education." IvyPanda , 24 June 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/professionalism-in-nursing-and-role-of-education/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Professionalism in Nursing and Role of Education'. 24 June.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Professionalism in Nursing and Role of Education." June 24, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/professionalism-in-nursing-and-role-of-education/.

1. IvyPanda . "Professionalism in Nursing and Role of Education." June 24, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/professionalism-in-nursing-and-role-of-education/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Professionalism in Nursing and Role of Education." June 24, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/professionalism-in-nursing-and-role-of-education/.

• How Many Fish in the Sea: Lesson Anticipations
• New Imaginings in Racial Justice from Perceptive of Erased African History
• A Neuroscientific Perceptive of Cross-Cultural Differences in Translation
• Patience in The Shawshank Redemption Movie
• Nursing Professionalism and Professionalization
• The Essence of Professionalism
• The Emptiness and Futility of War: "No Man's Land" by Danis Tanovic
• Professionalism and Attendance in Healthcare
• Professionalism: A Pharmacist Perspective
• Acts of Kindness and Happiness in Human Life
• Obtaining a Drug Enforcement Administration Mumber for Nurse Practitioners
• Nursing Informatics and Client Safety
• Nurses as Best Health Advocates
• Mental Health Problems: Patient Care
• Nursing: What Does the Future Hold?

Professionalism in Nursing

Among the various professions and disciplines, professionalism is of the utmost importance, and especially in nursing. By definition of professionalism, nursing has been focused on professional values based on the humanistic qualities of integrity, respect, and compassion for others. Virtually, nursing is a commitment to care and uphold high ethical values for the development of oneself and others as well. It is about being accountable and taking up the responsibility for a broader practice, while consistently demonstrating the spirit of teamwork and being flexible. Besides, and most importantly, nurses must also ensure that they have the knowledge and skills required to perform the tasks as per expectation. In essence, nurses must agree to carry out their functions while upholding their professionality, because failure to do so is akin to neglecting their practice which can have severe consequences.

When nurses neglect or desert a patient, who has been assigned to them without prior arrangements for continued nursing care, they can be accused of patient abandonment, which is a severe impairment in the delivery of professional care to patients. As a nursing practitioner, the moment you receive a report on a certain patient, by default they become your responsibility until you pass them on to another nurse or they are discharged from your care (Reader & Gillespie, 2013). This means for as long the patient is under your care, you are not even allowed to rush out to pick something without notifying someone to check on them. If the patient were to get harmed in the absence of the assigned nurse, a malpractice claim could be filled with the facility, nurse, and the nursing program. Such cases of abandonment could also lead to severe cases such deterioration of patient’s medical condition to adverse effects including unplanned intensive care admission, cardiac arrests, or even death.

Whatever the circumstances, nurses are individually responsible and professional help accountable for the care they provide to their patients. Therefore, they should ensure that they have enough knowledge and skills to provide enhanced quality care, without risking patient abandonment.

1. Courtenay, M. (2001). Current issues in nurse prescribing. London: Greenwich Medical Media.

2. Reader, T. W., & Gillespie, A. (2013). Patient neglect in healthcare institutions: a systematic review and conceptual model. BMC Health Services Research, 13(156), p.1-15.

• AACN Synergy Model
• Advanced Practice Nurse (ADN)
• American Nurses’ Association (ANA)
• Communication

Professionalism in nursing essay.

Professionalism in nursing is incredibly important. It is the foundation upon which nurses build trusting relationships with patients and families, and it is the cornerstone of providing quality care.

Are you a nursing student and you are looking for professional assistance with writing your nursing papers? Get instant help from our professional nurse essay writers right row. We write original nursing essays, nursing dissertations and other nursing assignments at affordable rates. Get a top-notch nursing paper right here.

What is professionalism in nursing?

Professionalism includes a set of values, behaviors, and attitudes that demonstrate a commitment to excellence in patient care. It is based on a caring attitude, ethical practice, and a dedication to lifelong learning.

Nurses who exemplify professionalism are patient-centered, advocate for their patients, and are respectful of their patients’ autonomy. They are excellent communicators and work collaboratively with other members of the healthcare team. They are lifelong learners, constantly expanding their knowledge to provide the best possible care for their patients.

Professionalism is essential to the nursing profession and it is something that all nurses should aspire to. It benefits patients, families, and the profession as a whole.

The importance of professionalism in nursing.

Nurses are one of the most important members of the healthcare team. They are the ones who are usually in direct contact with patients and their families. Because of this, it is important for nurses to be professional at all times.

Professionalism in nursing includes being competent, ethical, and having a good bedside manner. Competence is important because nurses need to have the knowledge and skills to properly care for their patients. Ethical behavior is important because it ensures that patients are treated fairly and with respect. Having a good bedside manner means being able to put patients and their families at ease and providing them with the best possible care.

Nurses who are professional are able to provide the best possible care for their patients. They are also able to build trust and rapport with their patients and their families. This is important because it helps create a positive relationship between the healthcare team and the patient.

The challenges of professionalism in nursing.

It is no secret that nursing is a demanding profession. From the long hours to the emotional stress, nurses are constantly challenged to maintain a professional demeanor. But what does it really mean to be professional?

For nurses, being professional means more than just having a good bedside manner. It means being competent in their skills and knowledge, being able to handle difficult situations with grace and composure, and always putting the patient’s needs first.

It can be difficult to maintain a professional demeanor when you are constantly being pushed to your limits, but it is important to remember that as a nurse you are a role model for other members of the healthcare team. You are the one they will look to for guidance and support, so it is important to set the example.

If you are finding it difficult to maintain your professional demeanor, remember that you are not alone. Talk to your supervisor or another trusted nurse for guidance and support. And always remember, the patient is counting on you to be the best nurse you can be.

The future of professionalism in nursing.

What does the future of professionalism in nursing look like? This is a question that is on the minds of many nurses as they consider their career options. There are a number of factors that will influence the future of professionalism in nursing.

One of the most important factors is the changing demographics of the nursing workforce. The baby boomer generation is beginning to retire, and there is a growing demand for nurses to care for an aging population. This trend is expected to continue, and it will have a major impact on the future of nursing.

Another important factor is the increasing number of nurses who are choosing to pursue careers in other fields. This is due in part to the increasing demand for nurses in other professions, such as healthcare administration and nursing informatics.

Finally, the future of nursing will be influenced by the changing nature of healthcare itself. With the Affordable Care Act, there is a greater focus on preventative care and chronic disease management. This will require nurses to have different skills sets than in the past.

The future of professionalism in nursing is uncertain, but there are a number of factors that will influence its development. As the nursing workforce changes and the healthcare system evolves, nurses will need to adapt to these changes to remain successful in their careers.

how to structure of professionalism in nursing essay

Nursing is a profession that is based on caring for others. As a nurse, you are expected to be professional in your demeanor and your actions. This means that you must be respectful, compassionate, and knowledgeable.

When you are writing an essay on professionalism in nursing, it is important to structure your argument in a way that is professional. You should start by introducing the topic and providing a brief overview of the main points you will be discussing. Then, you should present your argument in a logical and coherent manner. Be sure to support your argument with evidence from reliable sources.

Finally, you should conclude your essay by summarizing your main points and reiterating your position on the issue. By following this structure, you will ensure that your professionalism in nursing essay is professional and well-argued.

Conclusion.

As we have seen, it is crucial to have professionalism in nursing. Additionally, the basic structure to write a successful professionalism in nursing essay is to follow these tips: present your argument in logical and coherent manner and to support your argument with evidence from reliable sources.

References.

Park, M., & Yoo, H. (2019). Influence of cultural competence on nursing professionalism of nursing students.  The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education ,  25 (1), 38-47.

Work with professional online writers

• Affordable Nursing Papers
• Nursing Coursework Writing
• Nursing Essay Writing Service
• Nursing Essay Assignments
• Nursing Assignment Writing
• Nursing Case Study Writing
• Nursing Process Essay Writing
• Nursing Capstone Project
• BSN Capstone Project
• Reliable Nursing Writers
• PICO Question Examples
• Nursing Speeches
• Nursing PowerPoint Presentations
• Online Nursing Essay Writers
• Nursing Thesis
• Nursing Coursework
• Nursing Term Papers
• Legit Nursing Writers
• Best Nursing Writing Company
• Nursing Students Writing Help
• Cheap Nursing Term Paper

• Refund Guarantee
• On time delivery
• Plagiarism-free papers
• Safe and Confidential
• Trained Writers
• Nursing Essay Writing
• Nursing Coursework Help
• Nursing Dissertations
• Nursing Case Studies
• Nursing Assignment Help

Contact Info

• 123 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 12004, United States.
• +1(413) 798-7210
• [email protected]

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Nursing — The Main Attributes For Professionalism In Nursing

The Main Attributes for Professionalism in Nursing

• Categories: Nursing Professionalism

About this sample

Words: 1064 |

Published: Dec 16, 2021

Words: 1064 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Table of contents

Introduction.

• Behrend, B., Finch, D., Emerick, C., and Scoble, K. 2006, ‘Articulating Professional Nursing Practice Behaviors’, Journal of Nursing Administration, vol.16, no.2.
• Caver, L., and Candela, L. 2008, ‘Attaining organizational commitment across different generations of nurses’, Journal of Nursing Management, vol.16, no.8.
• Chadwick, M. 2010. ‘Creating order out of Chaos: A leadership approach Association of Operating Room Nurses’, AORN Journal, vol. 91, no.1.
• Duffield, C., Roche, M., O’Brien-Pallas, L., Catling -Paull, C., & King, M. 2008, ‘Staff satisfaction and retention and the role of the Nursing Unit Manager. Collegian: Journal of the Royal college of Nursing Australia, Vol.16, pp. 11-17.
• Girard, F., Linton, N., & Besner, J. 2005, ‘Professional practice in Nursing: A Framework’, Nursing Leadership , vol.16, no.2.
• Hoffart, N., & Woods, C. Q. 2009, ‘Elements of Nursing Professional Practice Model, Journal of Professional Nursing, vol. 12, no.6, pp. 353-364.
• Thomas, C.M., Ehret, A., Ellis, B., Colon-Shoop, S, Linton, J., & Metz, S. 2010, ‘Perception of nurse caring, skills and knowledge based on appearance’, Journal of Nursing Administration, vol. 40, no.11, pp.-489-497.
• Staples, S., 2009, ‘Are you a Nursing Professional?’, Nurse Together, viewed 14 March 2019, http://www.nursetogether.com/tabid/102/itemid/1169/Are-You-aNursing-Professional.aspx.

Should follow an “upside down” triangle format, meaning, the writer should start off broad and introduce the text and author or topic being discussed, and then get more specific to the thesis statement.

Provides a foundational overview, outlining the historical context and introducing key information that will be further explored in the essay, setting the stage for the argument to follow.

Cornerstone of the essay, presenting the central argument that will be elaborated upon and supported with evidence and analysis throughout the rest of the paper.

The topic sentence serves as the main point or focus of a paragraph in an essay, summarizing the key idea that will be discussed in that paragraph.

The body of each paragraph builds an argument in support of the topic sentence, citing information from sources as evidence.

After each piece of evidence is provided, the author should explain HOW and WHY the evidence supports the claim.

Should follow a right side up triangle format, meaning, specifics should be mentioned first such as restating the thesis, and then get more broad about the topic at hand. Lastly, leave the reader with something to think about and ponder once they are done reading.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Nursing & Health Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 777 words

1 pages / 617 words

3 pages / 1496 words

1 pages / 403 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Nursing

Gagnon, K., & Sabus, C. (2015). Professionalism in a Digital Age: Opportunities and Considerations for Using Social Media in Health Care. Physical Therapy, 95(3), 406–414.Nayak, S. G. (2018). Time Management in Nursing -- Hour [...]

Ball J. & Pike G. (2009). Shift length: A literature review. Nursing Management (Harrow), 16(4), 22-25.Bogossian, F., Winters-Chang, P., & Tuckett, A. (2014). Extended work shifts and the impact on patient safety, productivity, [...]

A Better NHS. (2011). Patient autonomy and choice. Retrieved from 71-77.

Davis, S. H., & Berk, S. F. (Eds.). (2017). Teaching nursing: The art and science. Wolters Kluwer Health.Dossey, B. M., Keegan, L., & Guzzetta, C. E. (Eds.). (2015). Holistic nursing: A handbook for practice. Jones & Bartlett [...]

In the world of healthcare, professionalism is the cornerstone of nursing practice. It encompasses a set of qualities and behaviors that not only uphold the standards of the profession but also ensure the delivery of safe and [...]

The role of a nurse is often seen as one of care and compassion, providing support and medical treatment to those in need. However, there is another aspect to nursing that is equally important but often overlooked - that of the [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free