Shaping Professional Identity in Nursing: A Comparison of Nurse Educators and Clinical Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy, confidence in career choice, and sense of mission are factors that shape professional identity (PI) in nurses. PURPOSE: To compare these factors between nurse educators and clinical nurses. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 228 nurses between March and December 2022. RESULTS: Nurse educators demonstrated higher self-efficacy ( P = .012), while no differences were found in confidence in career choice or sense of mission. Nurses with postgraduate specialization exhibited higher confidence in career choice ( P = .046) and self-efficacy ( P < .001). Instruction contributed to self-efficacy, particularly among nurses without postgraduate specialization ( P <.001). Seniority, instruction, and postgraduate education predicted self-efficacy ( R2  = 0.239, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Self-efficacy is enhanced in nurse educators, independent of teaching context. Postgraduate specialization courses further contribute to self-efficacy and confidence in career choice. These findings emphasize the importance of instructional roles and continuing education in strengthening PI within nursing.