Work

Tailored professional identity personas of male undergraduate nursing students: a secondary analysis of qualitative data

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: With the gradual diversification of the gender structure in Chinese nursing undergraduate education, the number of male nursing students has steadily increased. However, research on the professional identity formation of male nursing students is still limited, particularly in terms of systematically identifying and understanding their intrinsic differences. Therefore, this study aims to identify the professional identity personas of male nursing undergraduates through secondary analysis of existing interview data and explore the characteristics of professional identity construction under different personas. METHODS: This study is based on previous qualitative research data from 16 male nursing undergraduates in northern China. Secondary analysis was conducted using Graneheim and Lundman's content analysis method. By extracting factual labels and constructing classification dimensions, the study identifies professional identity types and forms typical professional identity personas. RESULTS: The study developed eight core themes and categorized them into four types of professional identity personas: (1) Compliant participants with low identity engagement, (2) Value-driven contributors with identity commitment, (3) Transitional adapters with emerging identity, and (4) Reflective strugglers with critical identity rebuilding. CONCLUSION: The professional identity formation of male nursing students is notably diverse and complex. Identifying these personas helps nursing educators adopt tailored approaches, providing targeted support and guidance, and fostering gender-friendly and personalized professional development pathways. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Source: BMC Nursing

DOI: 10.1186/s12912-025-03809-z

Authors: Xinyi Han, Yu Duan, Sixue Hong, Yaiwei Yu, Peijing Hao, Yiping Chen

Institutions: Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Nursing education and management

Subfield: Research and Theory

Field: Nursing

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,090