Professional Behavior in Nursing

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Leadership Development
• Professionalism in Healthcare

Background:

• Many nurses lack a clear understanding of professional behaviors post-graduation.
• Effective leadership in nursing is intrinsically linked to professional conduct.
• Bridging the gap in professionalism knowledge is crucial for career advancement and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define and identify key professional behaviors for nurses.
• To provide nurse faculty with tools to teach and model professionalism.
• To support the career progression of new nurses through enhanced professional conduct.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the American Organization of Nurse Executives' Nurse Executive Competency for Professional Behavior.
• Focused on identifying role-modeling behaviors for faculty to demonstrate.
• Emphasized practical aspects of professionalism for new nurses.

Main Results:

• The competency framework offers a clear definition of professional nursing behavior.
• Identified specific behaviors that faculty can model for new nurses.
• Provided actionable strategies for integrating professionalism into nursing development.

Conclusions:

• Clear understanding and application of professional behavior are essential for nursing leadership.
• Nurse faculty play a critical role in cultivating professionalism in early-career nurses.
• Focusing on professional behavior enhances both nurse career trajectories and the quality of patient care.