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Redefining the concept of professionalism in nursing: an integrative review Cover

Redefining the concept of professionalism in nursing: an integrative review

Open Access
|Dec 2021

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

PRISMA diagram. PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.
PRISMA diagram. PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Characteristics of the included articles_

RowArticleCountryDesignObjective(s)Major finding(s)
1Miller et al.4USAValidation studyTo describe the development of an evaluative behavioral inventory based on Miller's Model for Professionalism in Nursing and to report the results of an investigation of registered nurses in eight western states.The majority of the participants displayed professional behaviors in continuing educational activities, autonomous quality assurance participation, community service, and theory-based nursing practice.
2Weiset et al.31USAValidation studyTo describe the NPVS, its development, reliability, and validity, and its derivation from the Code of Ethics of the American Nurses Association.Eight factors such as caregiving, activism, accountability, integrity, trust, freedom, safety, and knowledge were identified. The two major factors were caregiving and activism. The NPVS was found to be highly reliable and valid.
3Tanaka et al.32JapanDescriptiveTo compare NP among nurse leaders in the USA and Japan.The total mean score of professionalism was significantly higher in the USA. The mean scores of professionalism subscales were also significantly higher in the USA. While American participants scored significantly higher in the categories of education preparation, community service, theory development, and self-regulation and autonomy, Japanese nurse leaders scored significantly higher in publication and communication as well as research development.
4Shahriari et al.33IranDescriptive-analyticalTo utilize a standard tool to explore perspectives on the application of ethical and professional values in the clinical environments of nursing care in Isfahan city.The most important criteria of professional ethics were protecting people's health and safety, respecting patients’ moral and legal rights, following practices guided by principles of fidelity and respecting individuals, and protecting patients’ right to privacy.
5Hodges et al.13CanadaDiscourse-analysis approachDetermine the appropriate element for assessing professionalism.A multi-dimensional, multi-paradigmatic approach to evaluate professionalism at different levels, namely, individual, inter-personal, and societal-institutional.
6Fantahun et al.25EthiopiaThe cross-sectional and qualitative designTo investigate factors affecting professionalism in nursing.The main factors influencing professionalism were workload, lack of vision, government's lack of support of and focus on the profession, poor organization of the Ethiopian Nursing Association, lack of life insurance as well as the health professionals, and society's views of the profession.
7Parandeh et al.8IranSystematic reviewTo assess different factors affecting the development of professional values among nursing students and instructors.Educational, cultural, and individual factors played a role in developing nurses’ professional values. And four extracted themes include “education and achieving professional experiences,” “Students and instructors’ perspectives on professional values,” “the role of culture in considering and developing professional special values,” and “the effect of learners’ individual characteristics.”
8Habibzadeh et al.34IranQualitativeTo investigate facilitators of and barriers to nursing professionalization in Iran.Communication, motivation and attitude, organizational culture and structure, academic education, and supportive resources affect nursing professionalization.
9Crowder et al.35USAHistorical perspectiveTo explore historical evidence regarding nurses’ concerns about professionalism.Four important factors were found: education, commitment to the profession, community sanction, and professional organization.
10Rassin et al.36IsraelQuantitativeTo measure professional and personal values among nurses and to identify the factors affecting these values.Three main professional nursing values including human dignity, equality among patients, and prevention of suffering were found.
11Allari et al.9Saudi ArabiaCross-sectional surveyTo evaluate the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the NPVS-Revised.NPVS was empirically validated, indicating its suitability for national and regional application.
12Ghadirian et al.37IranConcept analysisTo identify the core attributes of NP.Cognitive, attitudinal, and psychomotor factors are the main attributes of NP.
13Primm et al.38USADescriptiveTo describe eight aspects of NP.Nurses can use the wheel of professionalism to identify their behaviors and set goals for change or improve their professionalism in practice.
14Hershberger et al.39USASurveyTo examine self-control as a component of resident professionalism through exploring residents’ and their program directors’ views.There was no correlation between residents’ self-reported professionalism and their program directors’ ratings, indicating the difficulty in understanding and measuring this competency.
15Ali Dehghani et al.7IranConcept analysisTo clarify and reduce the semantic ambiguities related to the concept of professionalism.NP comprises three main factors: principles of care, communication, and ethics. NP can positively affect nurses, the nursing profession, and the health care system.
16College of Nurses of Ontario11CanadaGuidelines for nursing standardsTo provide guidelines for professional standards.Guidelines on the knowledge, skills, judgment, and attitudes necessary for safe practices were suggested.
17Finnbakk et al.SwedenCross-sectional surveyTo examine the reliability and construct validity of the new Professional Nurse Self-Assessment Scale (ProffNurse SAS) in Norway.The instrument has acceptable reliability and construct validity, and can be used for assessing practicing nurses’ clinical competence.
18Lesser et al.40USAReviewTo provide a practical approach for physicians and the organizations in which they work.Professional behaviors could be affected by the organizational and environmental context of contemporary medical practice. These external factors should be controlled to foster professionalism in practice, providing opportunities to improve health care services via reforms in education and the whole system.
19Wilkinson et al.12New ZealandLiterature reviewTo match assessment tools to definable elements of professionalism and to identify gaps where professionalism elements are not well-addressed by existing assessment tools.Professionalism consists of the following elements: adherence to ethical practice principles, effective interactions with patients and with people who are important to them, effective interactions with people working within the health system, reliability, and commitment to autonomous maintenance/improvement of competence in oneself, others, and systems. Several assessment tools were identified: observed clinical encounters collated views of coworkers, records of incidents of unprofessionalism, critical incident reports, simulations, paper-based tests, patients’ opinions, global views of the supervisor, and self-administered rating scales.
20Fisher41USADescriptiveTo compare the development of professionalism in pre-licensure nursing students in associate degree, diploma, and BA programs.The amount of time spent in nursing programs does not affect professionalism. Educators should use strategies to foster these values. The quantity and quality of pre-licensure education should be re-evaluated. Personal and professional values should be integrated into the ethical standards of the nursing profession while students advance along the continuum of professionalism.
21Li et al.42ChinaSystematic searchTo systematically evaluate the psychometric properties of NP instruments and the methodological quality of the studies they were used in.Content validity, cross-cultural validity, and criterion-related validity were either unreported or received negative ratings in most studies. Based on the best-evidence synthesis, three instruments such as Hisser's instrument for nursing students, nurse practitioners’ roles and competencies scale, and perceived faculty competency inventory were recommended.
22Wynd2USADescriptive comparative/correlationalTo explore registered nurses’ attitudes toward professionalism and to examine differences and relationships among degrees of professionalism, levels of education and experience, membership in professional organizations, and specialty certification in nursing.The findings indicated that professionalism was significantly associated with years of experience as a registered nurse, higher educational degrees in nursing, membership in organizations, service as an officer in the organization, and specialty certification.
23Ayla43TurkeyDescriptiveTo explore the professional values of nursing students and the factors affecting them.The scores of student nurses’ professional values were at a good level. Personal and environmental factors could affect the professional values of student nurses. Professional values of nursing are the most important components of the protection of high-quality standards in the nursing profession. Nurses should be provided with these values in their education.
24Karadağ et al.44TurkeyDescriptiveTo explore nursing students’ attitudes toward professionalism.The mean total scores of professional attitudes were satisfactory. The highest mean scores were for autonomy, competence, and continuous education while the lowest ones were for cooperation, contribution to scientific knowledge, and participation in professional organizations.
25Hisar et al.45TurkeyDescriptiveTo investigate the professional behavior of nurse executives.The lowest scores were reported for participation in professional organizations, educational preparation, and autonomy. Moreover, most participants did not have a copy of the ethics codes. Furthermore, the professional behavior and conduct of middle nurse managers and nurse executives were low.
26Kim-Godwin et al.46South KoreaDescriptiveTo assess the levels of professionalism and examine factors associated with professionalism among Korean American nurses.Several factors were associated with professionalism among Korean American registered nurses, namely, membership in professional organizations, current nursing employment positions, current employment status, work settings, total years of nursing experience, total years of nursing experience in the USA, location of obtaining their final degree, and duration of nursing education in the USA.
27Çelik et al.47TurkeyValidation studyTo confirm the identified factor structure of the IPASN.The factors of the IPASN including an increase in scientific information load, autonomy, cooperation, competence, and continuous education, participation in professional organizations and professional development, working in committees, community service, and ethical codes and theory were confirmed by CFA. IPASN was confirmed theoretically and statically.
28Altiok et al.48TurkeyQualitativeTo explore students’ experiences of professionalism in clinical practices as well as their perceptions about the concept of NP.Seven major themes related to professionalism were as follows:
  • Behaving according to ethical principles.

  • Being well-informed in the field.

  • Providing integrated care.

  • Gaining and developing professional skills.

  • Behaving autonomously.

  • Ensuring cooperation.

  • Having altruism.

29Lombarts et al.49The NetherlandsQualitativeTo evaluate the reliability and validity the researcher-made scale for measuring professionalism among physicians and nurses, and the relationship between professional attitudes and professional behaviors.Both physicians and nurses reported equally high professional attitudes but physicians scored highest in professional competence and lowest on the inter-professional collaboration. Nurses scored highest on improving quality of care and authority as the lowest subscale.
30Svensson50SwedenDescriptiveTo explore the relationship between professionalism, trust, and competence, and to outline some conditions for professionalism as a means to provide trust and confidence in professional work organizations.The concept of professionalism in this article was highly dependent on knowledge, competence, and skill, and coupling with occupations and occupational practice.Professionalism was considered as a contextual competence rather than a general capability. Practical knowledge, experience and familiarity, and the utilization of practical knowledge were considered more important than theoretical knowledge and formal education.
31Lehna et al.51USAQualitativeTo investigate the effect of current nursing attire on the image of the nursing profession.Professionalism is a total package consisting of attire, mannerisms, and a certain attitude. The sub-themes were role identification and competency.
32Tanaka et al.52JapanDescriptiveTo examine nurse managers’ perceptions of professional behaviors and the contributing factors.The highest and lowest scores for professional behaviors were obtained in “competence and continuing education” and “publication and communication,” respectively. Higher NP was significantly related to the increased length of nursing experience, higher levels of educational preparation, and the current position as a nurse administrator.
33Rhodes53 Literature reviewTo review the related literature on professionalism, comment on professionalism in health services professions, present a model of reaction to professionalization and draw conclusions about the results of this trend.to propose a model for professionalism in the health service professions based on ten characteristics of “professionalism” that include a full-time occupation, a strong motivation or calling for the career, a specialized body of knowledge and skills acquired during a prolonged period of education and training, decision-making on behalf of the client in terms of principles, theories or propositions, service orientation, service based on the objective needs of the client and mutual trust, autonomy of judgment for performance, formation of professional associations and other professional credentials, a specific set of knowledge, not allowing professionals to seek out clients,
34Bragancaa54GOAQualitativeTo explore the factors influencing professionalism among nurses.and internal factors such as communication challenges, individual characters, and responsibility as well as external factors like educational and cultural development, organizational preconditions, and support systems affecting professional ethics in nursing practice. Findings imply that knowledge of professional ethics and the contributing factors may help nurses and other healthcare professionals to provide better patient services.
35Hintistan et al.55TurkeyDescriptiveTo identify professionalism characteristics among nurses working in the internal medicine clinics of a university hospital.Nurses believed the most important characteristics were “taking individual responsibility in nursing practices” and “paying attention to using a simple and clear language by establishing a good communication with patients and team members.” The characteristics included “becoming a member of a nursing association,” and “feeling the necessity” to use the titles of a specialist nurse.
36Balang et al.56TurkeyLiterature reviewDescribing the professionalism among Malaysian nurses.Promoting and maintaining professional behavior from the individual level to the organization level. Through mandatory regulations for nurses to participate in CPD programs for the renewal of certificates, mentor and mentee programs, and the allocation of postgraduates for nurses in the health care system.
37Konukbay et al.57TurkeyDescriptiveCompressive assessment of nurses’ professional behavior.The lowest scores were reported in autonomy, publishing, and professional organization educational preparation while the highest scores were obtained in continued education, use of theory, education, research, nursing codes, and social services.
38Mahmoud Salem et al.58Saudi ArabiaAnalytic cross-sectionalInvesting the nature of the relationship between conflict and nurses’ perceptions of their professionalism.Findings show that most nurses had a low-level perception of their professionalism. Factors that were effective in the low-level perception of nurses of professionalism include the personal interest in the nursing profession and view of family, society, and consumers to the profession.
39Solomon et al.20South West EthiopiaCross-sectional and QualitativeDetermining the level of professionalism and its predicators among nurses.The results revealed a low level of professionalism among nurses that lead to negative outcomes including increased turnover and attrition and decreased productivity. The most substantial finding of this study is that organizational culture is a significant predictor of the nursing profession.
40Alidina59CanadaLiterature reviewTo explore and analyze NP and the contributing factors; to recommend strategies for fostering NP.Nurses should display the attributes of professionalism in their daily practice because it positively affects patient satisfaction and health outcomes. NP provides nurses with opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
41Hershberger et al.39USADescriptiveTo investigate the extent to which self-control is a component of resident professionalism among residents and their program directors.Self-control is an important facet of human behavior and interpersonal interaction, including the behaviors constituting medical professionalism. There was no correlation between resident and program director professionalism.
42Hwang et al.60KoreaDescriptiveTo compare the factors affecting job satisfaction among Korean and Chinese nurses.Professionalism was the key factor contributing to job satisfaction in Korean and Chinese nurses. Professionalism was positively associated with job satisfaction in both groups.
43Ojlovich et al.61USAlongitudinalIdentify the relationship between organization culture, personal sense of accomplishment, and NP.Organizational culture is an important predictor of NP. There is a strong link between organizational culture and professional nursing practice. Also, positive links among culture, the moral, and retention of employees and decrees patient mortality were found.
44Karadag et al.62KoreaDescriptiveTo evaluate professionalism among nurses in Korea.The lowest scores were reported in autonomy and educational preparation while the highest scores were obtained in ethical codes for nurses and community service. Mean scores on the BIPN were higher for nurse instructors and in the group proceeding with graduate studies, and they were lower in nurses working in the ward and those with associate degrees.
45Dikmen et al.63TurkeyDescriptiveTo evaluate the professional behavior of nurses in a hospital.The highest scores were for the sub-scales of competence and continuing education while the lowest ones were for autonomy and publication and research sub-scales. There was a statistically significant difference between the total BIPN scores and the education levels of the nurses and working of the nurses.
46Lasala64USAReviewTo explore the factors contributing to professionalism.Creating a positive first impression is important in seeking a new position or working with patients, colleagues, and the public. Nurses should pay special attention to their appearance and behavior.
47Schönrock-Adema et al.65The NetherlandsDescriptiveTo examine the effect of peer assessment on professional behavior.The findings indicated that peer assessment could enhance professional behavior. Moreover, female students’ professional behavior was significantly higher than male students.
48Tabatabai et al.66IranQualitativeConcept analysis of professionalization from the perspectives of nurses working in cardiac care units.The results of concept analysis showed that professionalization consists of seven major themes: community service, nursing knowledge and skills, support organizations, professional independence, good interpersonal relationships, ethical commitment, and attention to professional vulnerability.
49Jafaragaee et al.67IranQualitativeTo explore the barriers to professionalism from the perspective of clinical nurses and facilitate the commitment to the nursing profession.Three main themes were extracted, namely, the nature of the nursing profession (professional adherence and excellence professional adherence and excellence), factors facilitating professional commitment (value and professional motivation), and barriers to professional commitment (feelings of inferiority, experience, hardship, and frustration).
50Nikbakht Nasrabadi et al.68IranQualitativeTo explore first-year nurses’ experience of professionalism.The major themes were sufficient knowledge of nursing, experience, independence in practice, and provision of comprehensive patient care.
51Ravanipour et al.69IranQualitativeTo explore criteria for professionalization in nursing from the viewpoints of nursing teachers.Four main and eight sub-themes, such as the promotion of empowerment (individual empowerment—professional empowerment), professional ethics and commitment (ethics and individual values —professional ethics and commitment), resources and structure (educational resources and structure—resources and organizational structure), social status reform, were identified in this study.
52Afshar70IranQualitativeTo identify barriers to professional empowerment from the perspectives of nurses working in a surgery department.“Learned disability” was found as the major theme. It consists of three main sub-themes: “basic deficiencies,” “lack of professional support,” and “basic professional disadvantage.”
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2021-0033 | Journal eISSN: 2544-8994 | Journal ISSN: 2097-5368
Language: English
Page range: 327 - 340
Submitted on: Feb 10, 2021
Accepted on: Mar 26, 2021
Published on: Dec 30, 2021
Published by: Shanxi Medical Periodical Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 times per year

© 2021 Azadeh Azemian, Abbas Ebadi, Leila Afshar, published by Shanxi Medical Periodical Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.