Professional identity of Chinese nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak: A nation-wide cross-sectional study

Practicing in unprecedented working environment and fighting against the COVID-19 crisis influenced the image of nursing in the general population, as well as among nurses themselves. This study aimed to describe the sense of professional identity among Chinese nursing students during the COVID-19 outbreak and to explore the relationship between psychological resilience and the sense of professional identity in this cohort. A nationwide online cross-sectional survey was conducted. Nursing students were recruited from 18 Chinese universities. The 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC-10) evaluated psychological resilience and professional identity was assessed by the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nursing Students (PIQNS). A total of 6348 respondents had a moderate level of professional identity to nursing (average PIQNS score at 62.02 ± 12.02). About 86% of respondents attributed the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in elevating the nursing image. Psychological resilience was the strongest contributor to professional identity (β = 0.371, P < 0.001). There was a high level of professional identity among Chinese nursing students during the COVID-19 crisis. Policy support and courses to enhance psychological resilience are critical to sustain professional identity among nursing students.