Developing a Professional Identity

Professional identity is a construct that has been defined across identity discourses, and is, at times, seen as one’s individual professional brand, or one’s representation as a member of the organisational group. As a psychosocial construct, one’s professional identity can be seen as the confluence of the personal and the professional: the elements of an individual’s personal values, goals and beliefs that they bring to their professional role. When seen through this lens, professional identity has important implications for an individual’s satisfaction with the decisions and actions they take when at work, and thus, for their professional well-being. This section will explore the different ways that professionals form their professional identity, focusing on the veterinary context and what is known from this field about the formation of professional identity and its consequences. Because of the research that is available, the veterinarian’s professional identity has been chosen as the exemplar, however the potential application to all veterinary colleagues, including veterinary nursing, will be presented.