Informing a More Nuanced Understanding of Nurses' Professional Values and Potential Areas for Growth

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Ethics
• Professional Development

Background:

• Nurses' professional values are crucial for high-quality patient care.
• Understanding these values informs strategies for workforce development.
• Previous research indicates a need to explore specific value domains within nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess nurses' professional values using the Nursing Professional Values Scale 3.
• To examine variations in professional values across different demographic groups.
• To identify areas for improvement in nursing professional values, particularly activism.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative study design.
• Utilized the Nursing Professional Values Scale 3 instrument.
• Assessed values across three domains: caring, activism, and professionalism.

Main Results:

• Nurses demonstrated strong scores in caring and professionalism.
• Significant variations in value scores were observed based on ethnicity and educational background.
• Activism domain showed potential for development and enhancement.

Conclusions:

• Nurses highly value caring and professionalism, essential for patient care.
• Demographic factors like ethnicity and education influence professional values.
• Targeted interventions can foster activism, enhancing the nursing workforce's ethical and skilled practice.