Graduate entry nursing students' development of professional nursing self: A scoping review

Abstract

Background: Accelerated graduate entry nursing programmes require students to rapidly socialise to the profession. Professional identity is an important element of becoming a nurse.

Objective: This scoping review aimed to synthesise published literature reporting the development of professional identity, belongingness and self-concept as a nurse in students enrolled in a pre-registration graduate entry nursing programme.

Design: Scoping review.

Setting: Graduate entry nursing programmes.

Participants: Graduate entry nursing students.

Method: Following a pre-registered protocol, we searched electronic databases for publications investigating graduate entry nursing students' development of professional identity, belongingness and self-concept. Screening, data extraction and analysis were initially in duplicate and independent, and then by consensus.

Results: Of the 871 records identified, twenty met the inclusion criteria. Publications were from the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK. We identified one overarching theme of 'professional nursing self', with four sub-themes: 1) professional socialisation, 2) professional self-concept, 3) developing nursing agency, and 4) identity formation. Socialisation into nursing and belongingness to the profession occurred concurrently as students moved through their programme of learning. Due to the accelerated nature of the programmes, rapid professional socialisation was required, supported by positive relationships in the clinical setting. Strategies that enhanced belongingness and wellbeing enabled students to feel connected to the profession.

Conclusions: The development of professional identity in graduate entry nursing students is impacted by their rapid professional transition through an accelerated programme. Students' growing sense of nursing agency is embodied in their experiences of thinking and acting as a nurse. Their previous professional identity is then reconstituted in their new graduate selves; educational programmes support this transition.

Tweetable abstract: Scoping review finds professional identity development in graduate entry nursing students is rapid in accelerated preregistration degrees #belonging #connection.

Keywords: Belongingness; Graduate entry nurse; Nursing identity; Nursing student; Professional identity; Self-concept; Socialisation.