Aim and objectives: To compare the self-reported level of professionalism among nurses in Poland and Belarus and to indicate the areas in which differences in professional behaviours of nurses in both countries exist.
Background: Nurses constitute the largest group of healthcare providers, and the term professionalism is closely related to nursing profession.
Design: This investigation is a comparative survey and descriptive analysis of professional behaviours among nurses in Poland (n = 205) and Belarus (n = 236). The study was reported according to the STROBE checklist.
Methods: The Professionalism in Nursing Behaviors' Inventory Image Survey adapted from Adams and Miller (2001) was used to collect the data. The questionnaire contains 46 questions addressing the following behavioural categories: educational preparation, publications, research, professional organisation, community service, competence, code for nurses, theory and autonomy.
Results: The mean total score of professionalism was significantly different between the two countries (p < .0001). Significant differences, with higher scores in the group of respondents from Belarus, were also revealed in the following subscales of professionalism: "Professional organisation," "Community service," "Competence" and "Publication." Nurses from Poland had higher levels of "Educational preparation" and "Use of theory." No statistically significant differences were indicated in the "Autonomy" and "Research" subscales.
Conclusion: Differences in the professionalism level of nurse practitioners in Poland and Belarus are related to nurses' professional position and the context in which they practice.
Relevance to clinical practice: The results of the present study can help the healthcare management and nursing leaders to support the professional development of nurses and strive for a higher level of professionalism.
Keywords: Belarus; Poland; professional behaviour; professionalism.
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.