Facilitators and inhibitors in developing professional values in nursing students.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Professional Ethics
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Professional values are foundational to nursing practice, particularly in ethical decision-making.
• Limited research exists on factors influencing the development and manifestation of these values in nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe facilitators and inhibitors of professional values development in nursing students.
• To explore these factors from the perspectives of nursing students, instructors, and nurses.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative approach using 29 semi-structured interviews and two focus groups.
• Conventional content analysis by Elo and Kyngäs was employed for data analysis.
• Purposive sampling included 18 nursing undergraduates, five instructors, and five nurses.

Main Results:

• Key findings categorized into personal and environmental factors.
• Personal factors included stimuli (e.g., experience, beliefs) and inhibitors (e.g., lack of motivation, negative emotions).
• Environmental factors included stimuli (e.g., cooperation, discipline) and inhibitors (e.g., poor work environment, societal attitudes).

Conclusions:

• Personal and environmental factors critically impact the development and manifestation of professional values in nursing students.
• Educational authorities should integrate these findings into curriculum planning.
• Nursing managers should focus on creating supportive work environments and removing barriers to value development.