title: Iranian nursing students' perspectives on transition to professional identity: a qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore Iranian nursing students' transition to professional identity.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Professional identity is an important outcome of nursing education that has not been fully explored in the Iranian nursing education system.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Professional identity is a significant factor influencing the development of nursing education and practice. The transition of nursing students to professional identity is the main concern of nursing education and fundamental prerequisite for policymaking and planning in the field of nursing education.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a qualitative content analysis study. In-depth unstructured interviews were held with 35 Iranian bachelor's degree nursing students recruited through purposive sampling. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data analysis led to the development of four themes and 15 categories: 'satisfaction with professional practice (attending clinical settings and communicating with patients, the feeling of being beneficial)'; 'personal development (growing interest in nursing, feeling competent in helping others, changing character and attitude shift towards patients)'; 'professional development (realizing the importance of nursing knowledge, appreciating professional roles, a changing their understanding of nursing and the meaning it)'; and 'attaining professional commitment (a tendency to present oneself as a nurse, attempting to change oneself, other students and the public image of nursing)'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Development of professional identity is a continual process of transition. The greatest transition occurred in the last year of the programme.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nursing students experienced transition to PI through gaining satisfaction with professional practice, undergoing personal and professional development and developing a professional commitment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educational policymakers can use our findings for developing strategies that facilitate and support nursing students' transition to professional identity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neishabouri
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kazemnejad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D011361:Professional Competence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012933:Social Identification; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Iran; Nursing; Nursing education; Nursing students; Professional identity; Qualitative study; Transition