Q I need help understanding a few nurses who report to me. It seems that they aren't as invested in the nursing profession as they should be and have little desire to develop their identity as a nurse. Can you share some suggestions to help me guide them?
Professional identity in nursing is defined as a sense of oneself, and in relationship with others, that's influenced by the characteristics, norms, and values of the nursing discipline, resulting in an individual thinking, acting, and feeling like a nurse.1 Establishing a professional identity in nursing likely has everything to do with self-confidence and the ability to collaboratively work with others to improve the workplace and impact patient outcomes.
A couple of recent think tanks were held to discuss professional identity in nursing, including the domains of values and ethics, leadership, knowledge, and professional comportment.2 Because there's little research in this area, this group is working to identify the essential elements of professional identity in nursing to tackle the gaps in the formation of our new nurses.
As a nurse manager, you should be able to assess when identity formation may be lacking and then provide opportunities for development to include the coaching and mentoring most nurses need. Perhaps this information rings true for the challenges you're having with some of your nurses. Maybe you've seen a lack of self-confidence, poor decision-making, and a seemingly superficial commitment to the nursing profession.3
One place for your nurses to start is finding their "why." Inspirational speaker and author Simon Sinek discusses the importance of knowing our why to understand the motivation in our work. He states that we all know what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. The why is important because it's about our purpose. And, generally, if we're truly living our purpose at work, we understand it's the basis for our passion that fuels us every day. Living your contribution at work means you know why you're a nurse and why you're there caring for patients and their families. Encourage your nurses to ask themselves: "Why did I come to the profession in the first place?" or "What were the factors that led me to choose nursing as a career?" Finding out your nurses' passion will link you to their why.
Knowing your own professional identity and helping others get to where you are through coaching and mentoring is an important part of being a nurse leader. Understanding your own why can provide the foundation for your role modeling of professional identity, joy in work, and sincere commitment to your patients and their families.
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