Professional identity profiles among nursing interns: a latent profile analysis and associations with psychological capital.
5 affiliations
- 1Nursing Department, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Pidu District People's Hospital, Chengdu, China.
- 2School of Health in Social Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
- 3The Primary Health Development Research Center of Sichuan Province, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.
- 4Nursing Department, The People's Hospital of Wenjiang Chengdu, Chengdu, China.
- 5Department of Digestive Oncology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China.
Abstract
Background
Clinical practicum is the stage at which nursing interns begin to experience nursing as daily work. Professional identity is important during this transition, yet interns are often treated as a homogeneous group because they share the same training stage. This may obscure different patterns of role understanding, clinical belonging, teamwork, coping, and reflection. This study aimed to identify latent profiles of professional identity among nursing interns and examine how dimensions of psychological capital were associated with profile membership.Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in December 2024 in two tertiary general hospitals in Chengdu, China. Nursing interns were eligible if they had completed at least one month of clinical practicum. Professional identity was measured across five dimensions, and psychological capital was measured through self-efficacy, resilience, hope, and optimism. Latent profile analysis identified professional identity profiles. Profile differences were examined with appropriate group comparison tests, and multinomial logistic regression examined factors associated with profile membership.Results
Among 432 valid responses, a three-profile solution showed clear classification and meaningful class sizes. The low, moderate, and high professional identity profiles included 164, 192, and 76 nursing interns, and the estimated profile proportions were 38.5, 43.9, and 17.6%. Psychological capital scores increased across the three profiles. In multinomial logistic regression, self-efficacy was associated with membership in both the moderate profile (OR = 1.349, 95% CI = 1.195-1.523) and the high profile (OR = 1.412, 95% CI = 1.221-1.631), while optimism was also associated with the moderate profile (OR = 1.334, 95% CI = 1.051-1.693) and especially the high profile (OR = 2.204, 95% CI = 1.336-3.636). Hope was associated only with membership in the high profile (OR = 1.344, 95% CI = 1.103-1.636). Resilience was not independently associated with profile membership, and failed courses showed sparse-cell instability.Conclusion
Nursing interns at the same clinical practicum stage showed distinct professional identity profiles. Psychological capital, such as self-efficacy, optimism, and hope, was associated with membership in profiles characterized by stronger professional identity patterns. These findings may inform the design and future evaluation of profile-informed practicum support.
Related
- Gender-based discrimination shapes psychological safety and professional identity in clinical settings: a qualitative study of nursing, midwifery, and medical students.
- The theory of nursing professional identity formation.
- The mediating roles of self-efficacy and professional identity in the association between internship environment and voice behavior among nursing interns: a multicenter cross-sectional study
- Effect of professional education on the professional identity of nursing undergraduates
- Full-time undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of professional dignity: a descriptive qualitative study of social attitudes, professional values, and self-identity.
BibTeX
@article{liu2026professional,
title = {{Professional identity profiles among nursing interns: a latent profile analysis and associations with psychological capital.}},
author = {Shan Liu and Xu Guan and Juan Lian and Yisong Yao and Xiaomei Chen and Yuchen Fu and Yue Hao},
journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1915176},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903048},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Professional identity profiles among nursing interns: a latent profile analysis and associations with psychological capital.
AU - Shan Liu
AU - Xu Guan
AU - Juan Lian
AU - Yisong Yao
AU - Xiaomei Chen
AU - Yuchen Fu
AU - Yue Hao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/06
JO - Frontiers in psychology
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1915176
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903048
AB - Background Clinical practicum is the stage at which nursing interns begin to experience nursing as daily work. Professional identity is important during this transition, yet interns are often treated as a homogeneous group because they share the same training stage. This may obscure different patterns of role understanding, clinical belonging, teamwork, coping, and reflection. This study aimed to identify latent profiles of professional identity among nursing interns and examine how dimensions of psychological capital were associated with profile membership.Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in December 2024 in two tertiary general hospitals in Chengdu, China. Nursing interns were eligible if they had completed at least one month of clinical practicum. Professional identity was measured across five dimensions, and psychological capital was measured through self-efficacy, resilience, hope, and optimism. Latent profile analysis identified professional identity profiles. Profile differences were examined with appropriate group comparison tests, and multinomial logistic regression examined factors associated with profile membership.Results Among 432 valid responses, a three-profile solution showed clear classification and meaningful class sizes. The low, moderate, and high professional identity profiles included 164, 192, and 76 nursing interns, and the estimated profile proportions were 38.5, 43.9, and 17.6%. Psychological capital scores increased across the three profiles. In multinomial logistic regression, self-efficacy was associated with membership in both the moderate profile (OR = 1.349, 95% CI = 1.195-1.523) and the high profile (OR = 1.412, 95% CI = 1.221-1.631), while optimism was also associated with the moderate profile (OR = 1.334, 95% CI = 1.051-1.693) and especially the high profile (OR = 2.204, 95% CI = 1.336-3.636). Hope was associated only with membership in the high profile (OR = 1.344, 95% CI = 1.103-1.636). Resilience was not independently associated with profile membership, and failed courses showed sparse-cell instability.Conclusion Nursing interns at the same clinical practicum stage showed distinct professional identity profiles. Psychological capital, such as self-efficacy, optimism, and hope, was associated with membership in profiles characterized by stronger professional identity patterns. These findings may inform the design and future evaluation of profile-informed practicum support.
SN - 1664-1078
ER -