Relationship Between Professional Identity and Humanistic Practice Ability Among New Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The development of nursing discipline and evidence-based practice calls for professional identity and humanistic practice ability among new nurses. The verification of the relationship between professional identity and humanistic practice ability could make contributions to stabilizing the nursing team and optimizing the practice environment for nurses, nurse educators and nurse managers. However, there is a lack of evidence exploring the relationship between professional identity and humanistic practice ability in new nurses. This study is a national cross-sectional survey using multistage sampling. A total of 258 new nurses from five tertiary hospitals. The Professional Identity Questionnaire and Humanistic Nursing Practice Ability Questionnaires for new nurses were used to measure professional identity and humanistic practice ability. Data were collected from April to September 2018. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation and linear regression were used to analyze data. The STROBE checklist was used in reporting this study. A positive and significant correlation was determined between professional identity and humanistic nursing practice ability among new nurses (r=0.846, P<0.01). The score of new nurses' professional identity was 70.63±13.79, and humanistic nursing practice ability was 90.62±13.64. Both are at medium level. The professional identity of new nurses is positively related to humanistic nursing practice ability. New nurses with a passion for professional identity should pay attention to improving their humanistic practice ability. Nurse educators and managers should improve professional identity education and provide better learning, working environments to support humanistic nursing practice ability for new nurses.

Keywords

Cross-sectional study / New nurse / Professional identity / Humanistic nursing practice ability

References

[1] Andrew N. (2012). Professional identity in nursing: Are we there yet? Nurse Education Today, 32(8), 846-849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2012.03.014

[2] Ankers M. D., Barton C. A., & Parry Y. K. (2018). A phenomenological exploration of graduate nurse transition to professional practice within a transition to practice program. Collegian, 25(3), 319-325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2017.09.002

[3] Aagaard K., Sorensen E. E., Rasmussen B. S., & Laursen B. S. (2017). Identifying nurse anesthetists' professional identity. Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing, 32(6), 619-630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2016.08.006

[4] Admi H., Moshe—Eilon Y., Sharon D., & Mann M. (2018). Nursing students' stress and satisfaction in clinical practice along different stages: A cross—sectional study. Nurse Education Today, 68, 86-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.05.027

[5] Boamah S. A., Read E. A., & Laschinger H. K. S. (2017). Factors influencing new graduate nurse burnout development, job satisfaction and patient care quality: A time—lagged study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 73(5), 1182-1195. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13215

[6] Caliskan A., & Ergun Y. A. (2012). Examining job satisfaction burnout and reality shock amongst newly graduated nurses. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 47, 1392-1397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.831

[7] Eckerson C. M. (2018). The impact of nurse residency programs in the United States on improving retention and satisfaction of new nurse hires: An evidence—based literature review. Nurse Education Today, 71, 84-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.09.003

[8] Fry M., MacGregor C., Ruperto K., Jarrett K., Wheeler J., Fong J., & Fetchet W. (2013). Nursing praxis, compassionate caring and interpersonal relations: An observational study. Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal: AENJ, 16(2), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aenj.2013.02.003

[9] Grealish L., de Mortel T. V., Brown C., Frommolt V., Grafton E., Havell M., … Armit L. (2018). Redesigning clinical education for nursing students and newly qualified nurses: A quality improvement study. Nurse Education Practice, 33, 84-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2018.09.005

[10] Kuslu S., Eminoglu A., & Musluoglu M. (2025). The effect of holistic and humanistic approach on professional pride in nursing care. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 0 , 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.70009

[11] Luo H. F. (2017). Research on the relationship between nurses' professional identity and job performance. Jilin University (China).

[12] Lyu X. C., Huang S. S., Ye X. M., Zhang L. Y., Zhang P., & Wang Y. J. (2024). What influences newly graduated registered nurses' intention to leave the nursing profession? An integrative review. BMC Nurs, 23, 57. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912—023—01685—z

[13] Ortiz J. (2016). New graduate nurses' experiences about lack of professional confidence. Nurse Education in Practice, 19, 19-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2016.04.001

[14] Poku C. A., Bayuo J., Agyare V. A., Sarkodie N. K., & Bam V. (2025). Work engagement, resilience and turnover intentions among nurses: A mediation analysis. BMC Health Serv Res, 25, 71. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913—025—12242—6

[15] Roberts W. L., Solomon M., & Langenau E. (2011). An investigation of construct validity of humanistic clinical skills on a medical licensure examination. Patient Education Counseling, 82(2), 214-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2010.03.016

[16] Rush K. L., Adamack M., Gordon J., Lilly M., & Janke R. (2013). Best practices of formal new graduate nurse transition programs: An integrative review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 50(3), 345-356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.06.009

[17] Sabanciogullari S. & Dogan S. (2015). Relationship between job satisfaction, professional identity and intention to leave the profession among nurses in Turkey. Journal of Nursing Management, 23(8), 1076-1085. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12256

[18] Traynor M. & Buus N. (2016). Professional identity in nursing: UK students' explanations for poor standards of care. Social Science & Medicine, 166, 186-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.08.024

[19] Van Rooyen D. R. M., Jordan Portia J., ten Ham—Baloyi W., & Caka E. M. (2018). A comprehensive literature review of guidelines facilitating transition of newly graduated nurses to professional nurses. Nurse Education in Practice, 30, 35-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2018.02.010

[20] Van Bogaert P., Timmermans O., Weeks S. M., Van Heusden D., Wouters K., & Franck E. (2014). Nursing unit teams matter: Impact of unit—level nurse practice environment, nurse work characteristics, and burnout on nurse reported job outcomes, and quality of care, and patient adverse events—A cross—sectional survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(8), 1123-1134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.12.009

[21] Wang H. F. (2014). The development of assessment tools of nurses’ humanistic practice ability. Xinxiang Medical College (China).