Construction of norms for the Professional Identity Scale of Nursing Undergraduates in China

ObjectiveTo establish norms for the Professional Identity Scale of nursing undergraduates in China.MethodsUsing the Professional Identity Scale for nursing students as the assessment tool,a stratified cluster sampling method was adopted to survey 26 108 full⁃time nursing undergraduates from 46 universities across 23 provinces in China in May 2024.The mean norm,percentile norm,demarcation norm,and classification norm for the scale were developed.ResultsThe overall mean score of professional identity among nursing undergraduates was(3.709±0.618),with dimension scores as follows:professional value(3.516±0.680),professional cognition (4.030±0.639),and professional status(3.583±0.870).A mean norm combining gender and grade was constructed.Percentile norms were established at 5% intervals.Using the normal distribution method,cutoff standards for professional identity levels were determined and categorized into three grades:"low" "medium" and "high". Classification norms were also developed based on school type,whether students were admitted via program adjustment,place of origin,and whether they were only children.ConclusionsThe established norms for the Professional Identity Scale of nursing undergraduates in China can serve as reference for evaluating the professional identity levels of nursing undergraduates.