“We have to be the link between everyone”: A discursive psychology approach to defining registered nurses’ professional identity

BACKGROUND: The occupational health and safety of registered nurses is unsatisfactory, often including high work demands in combination with insufficient acknowledgement. Implicit expectations influence their working conditions, many of which are set by the nurses themselves. Therefore, we aimed to explore how professional identity was discursively constructed by Swedish registered nurses in research interviews about night shift work. DESIGN AND METHODS: Ten semi‐structured interviews with registered nurses were analysed using a discursive psychology approach. The Standards for reporting qualitative research guided the reporting. RESULTS: The professional identity of registered nurses included a theoretical professional aspect as well as a unique experience‐based competence. With their overview and breadth of competence, registered nurses constitute the hub of healthcare activities, also mastering tasks in the fields of other health professions. This opacity of professional boundaries is associated with boundless expectations of the registered nurse. Additionally, the professional identity stipulates always putting the patient's best interests first, and one's own needs second.