Baccalaureate Nursing Students’ Professional Identity: Does Participation in A Welcome to the Nursing Profession Ceremony and Adoption of a Standardized Uniform Enhance Their Sense of Professional Identity?
AUTHORS
Karen Street,Centre for Nursing Studies, 100 Forest Road, St. John’s, NL A1A 1E5, Canada
Andrea Barron,Centre for Nursing Studies, 100 Forest Road, St. John’s, NL A1A 1E5, Canada
Elizabeth Hynes,Centre for Nursing Studies, 100 Forest Road, St. John’s, NL A1A 1E5, Canada
Gladys Schofield,Centre for Nursing Studies, 100 Forest Road, St. John’s, NL A1A 1E5, Canada
ABSTRACT
In an effort to foster socialization into the nursing profession, faculty and administration at a Canadian nursing school in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) introduced a “welcome to the nursing profession” ceremony and adopted a standardized uniform (navy pants and white top) in 2014. The purpose of the formal ceremony and standardized uniform was to promote a sense of professionalism and pride in nursing as a profession. This research study was conducted to determine if baccalaureate nursing students’ sense of professional identity was enhanced through participation in the welcome to the nursing profession ceremony and adoption of a standardized uniform. A convenience sample of 210 BN students in Year 3 and Year 4 were surveyed on-line. The students in Year 3 had actually attended the ceremony and wore the standardized uniform, and the students in Year 4 had not participated in a ceremony and had not worn the standardized uniform. This paper highlights that students’ perceptions of professional identity were enhanced by attending a welcome to the nursing profession ceremony and wearing a standardized uniform. Participants also provided insight into other collaborative activities to promote baccalaureate nursing students’ sense of professional identity.
KEYWORDS
Nursing students, Professional identity, Uniform, Ceremony, Collaboration
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