FOSTERING A RESILIENT FUTURE WORKFORCE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL RESEARCH ON THE INTERPLAY OF PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AND OCCUPATIONAL SELF-EFFICACY AMONG NURSING STUDENTS IN MACAO

Abstract

Background: The development of a strong professional identity and a high sense of occupational self-efficacy are critical for nursing students' academic success, retention, and transition into the workforce. The global shortage of healthcare professionals underscores the need to understand the psychological factors that contribute to building a resilient and committed nursing workforce. While both constructs are studied independently, the relationship between them, particularly in unique educational and cultural contexts like Macao, is less understood.

Objectives: To analyze the status of professional identity and occupational self-efficacy among nursing students in Macao, identify key influencing factors, and explore the correlation between these two constructs.

Design: A quantitative, cross-sectional study design was employed.

Setting and Participants: The study included undergraduate nursing students from two major nursing education institutions in Macao. A total of 341 valid responses were collected.

Methods: Data were collected from November 2023 to January 2024 using an electronic questionnaire that included demographic information, the Nursing Students' Professional Identity Scale, and the Nursing Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Version 27), including descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis.

Results: Nursing students in Macao reported moderate levels of professional identity (M=62.15, SD=9.92) and occupational self-efficacy (M=96.52, SD=14.39). A strong, statistically significant positive correlation was found between professional identity and occupational self-efficacy (r=0.864, p < 0.01). Significant influencing factors for both constructs included age, choosing nursing as a first-choice career, reasons for selecting the profession (personal interest, personal volition), and participation in student societies.

Conclusions: Professional identity and occupational self-efficacy are strongly linked and appear to be mutually reinforcing in nursing students. The findings underscore the need for nursing education to adopt holistic strategies that cultivate both constructs simultaneously. Curricula should focus on fostering intrinsic motivation and providing supportive environments that enhance students' confidence and sense of belonging to the nursing profession.