Professional Identity Among Soon-To-Graduate Nursing Students: An International Comparison Study

BACKGROUND: Professional identity is fundamental to the way a nurse thinks, feels, and behaves and is developed within a context. Global variance in nursing education and work environments formally and informally create differences in how nursing is performed, valued, and supported. In light of increased nurse migration, identifying differences and similarities is important to inform a more inclusive definition of professional identity. METHOD: This qualitative descriptive study analyzed semistructured interviews with nursing students in the United States and the United Kingdom for concurrence and divergence. RESULTS: Concepts of professional identity are shared but interpreted through a cultural and educational lens, leading to nuanced variations that highlight the social and cultural influence of nursing in that geographic setting. CONCLUSION: Teasing out these differences and highlighting similarities becomes a valuable endeavor contributing to a more global understanding of nursing professional identity to inform inclusive, participatory, and intentional educational practices that support its development.