Measuring the professional self-concept of nurses: a critical review

Nursing literature strongly suggests that the self-concept of nurses is an important concept for academics, administrators and clinicians to consider in the development of the profession. Many valuable research projects have added to the data base on the subject, yet there still remain some questions to be answered. This paper explores the notion of self-concept as it relates to the professional working in nursing. In particular, the paper examines nursing research relating to the professional self-concept of nursing, arguing that the 'professional' self-concept of nurses is unique and different from that of the self-concept (while inextricably linked); and that there is room for a new instrument which measures the dimensions of the professional self-concept of nurses. Suggestions for future research include replication and further validation and reliability studies of a new instrument; a cross-cultural study using samples from different countries; testing with various samples from different branches of nursing and further exploring the differences between self-concept and professional self-concept.