Severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak promotes a strong sense of professional identity among nursing students

This is a phenomenological study that examined nursing students’ perception of nursing professional identity during severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003. The aim of the study was to find out how the impact of the SARS event might have affected nursing students in identification with the nursing profession. A total of 10 nursing students were interviewed. This study showed that the SARS crisis enhanced a reconstruction of worldview and affirmed the professional identity of nursing students. Central themes derived from the interview were (1) appreciation and sharing of nursing identity; (2) a sense of moral duty; (3) a change of worldview and feeling of self-growth. This study provided insights to nursing education that acquisition of professional identity could be enhanced through reflective appreciation of critical events such as SARS.