INVESTIGATING THE LEVEL OF SOCIALIZATION AND PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY OF NURSING STUDENTS IN URMIA UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

With the professionalization of nursing and the increase in society's need for professional nurses, professional identity has been considered a vital and influential factor in the quality of nursing care and the recovery of patients' health. Nursing students internalize norms, values, knowledge, and skills through professional socialization that begins with their academic period, which is essential for their future professional roles and self-development. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the socialization and professional identity level at Urmia University of Medical Sciences in 2022.

This research is a descriptive cross-sectional-correlation study. The population included all nursing students in the 4th to eighth semesters. One hundred ten nursing students were selected using convenience sampling. The social acceptability measurement scale and professional identity questionnaire were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.

The mean score for professional socialization was 137.57± 31.75. The mean score in the dimensions of valuation and recognition of profession was 36.60 ± 9.17; professional skills were 56.27 ± 25.64; management and organizational was 35.74 ± 8.58; and interpersonal communications was 9.5 ± 3.26. The participant's professional identity total score was 50.13 ± 8.26.

The student's overall professional socialization and professional identity were medium. The student's professional socialization was at a medium level for valuing and understanding the profession, management and organizational policies, and interpersonal communication. However, it was weak in professional skills. It is recommended that students' identity and professional sociability be improved as the functional basis of patient care by analyzing the processes and related actions.