Aug 2026· Nurse Education Today· Vol 167, pp.
107320
· 0 citations· 36 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Digital professionalism poses both challenges and opportunities for the professional identity formation of undergraduate nursing students when embedded in intentional pedagogical frameworks and adaptive institutional policies, digital environments become active sites for professional socialization and identity growth.
Abstract
Background
Digital professionalism has become increasingly relevant to nursing education as students engage with social media, generative artificial intelligence, and online platforms. However, the relationship between digital professionalism and professional identity formation among undergraduate nursing students remains conceptually fragmented and has not been comprehensively mapped.
Objectives
To map and synthesize the existing evidence on the relationship between digital professionalism and professional identity formation among undergraduate nursing students within nursing education settings.
Design
A scoping review guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology, reported according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL (EBSCO), EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global were searched for studies published between January 2016 and March 2026.
REVIEW
Methods
Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data using the Population, Concept, Context framework. Findings were synthesized using thematic analysis.
Results
Eighteen studies were included. Two themes were identified. Challenges included foundational structural gaps, blurred personal-professional boundaries, and intensifying issues related to Generation Z learners, influencer culture, and generative artificial intelligence. Opportunities demonstrated that guided digital engagement through social media initiatives, targeted digital pedagogy, virtual simulation, and critically informed influencer interactions can foster professional socialization, advocacy, belonging, and accountability.
Conclusions
Digital professionalism poses both challenges and opportunities for the professional identity formation of undergraduate nursing students. Without structured guidance and governance, digital engagement can fragment identity development. However, when embedded in intentional pedagogical frameworks and adaptive institutional policies, digital environments become active sites for professional socialization and identity growth. Nursing education must treat digital professionalism as a core, evolving competency integrated throughout the curriculum.
OBJECTIVE
Professional identity formation (PIF) is increasingly recognized as a core outcome of pharmacy education; however, little is known about how pharmacy students conceptualize what it means to be a pharmacist and the factors shaping this process. This scoping review aimed to map the literature on pharmacy students' perceptions of the pharmacist's professional role, identify factors influencing PIF, and develop an evidence-informed mnemonic to support professional identity formation in pharmacy education.
METHODS
A scoping review was conducted by a multidisciplinary team and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Studies on pharmacy students' professional identity, professional identity formation, or perceptions of pharmacists' roles were included. Six databases, Google Scholar, and grey literature were searched (2009-October 2024). Studies were screened in duplicate, and data were synthesized using inductive thematic analysis.
RESULTS
Our review included 22 peer-reviewed articles. Ten studies described pharmacy students' perceptions of pharmacists' roles: (1) Clinical Care and Therapeutic Expertise; (2) Public Health and Community Engagement; (3) Educational and Professional Development Roles; (4) Managerial, Organizational, and Administrative Roles; (5) Industrial, Scientific and Innovation Roles; and (6) Cultural Bridges and Diversity Brokers Roles. Twelve studies informed students PIF, in three themes:: (1) Inner Forces: Meaning, Symbols & Becoming (2) Navigating Reality: Pressures, Tensions & Growth; (3) Becoming Through Experience: Identity as Dynamic Construction CONCLUSION: PIF in pharmacy students is shaped by personal, educational, and social forces. These findings informed the development of the BRIDGE mnemonic, illustrating how identity unfolds through the interplay of meaning, contextual challenges, and community engagement.
Nataly R. Espinoza Suarez, Aya Benharira, Lilia Ben Abdelkader et al.· American Journal of Pharmace...· 0 citations
Purpose: As healthcare is rapidly digitizing, strengthening digital professionalism among future nurses has become essential. However, empirical evidence on the factors associated with digital professionalism among nursing students is limited. This study aimed to assess the level of digital professionalism among fourth-year nursing students in South Korea and identify the factors of digital competency and digital norms associated with digital professionalism.Methods: A correlational design using self-report questionnaires was employed. Participants were fourth-year nursing students from three universities located in two metropolitan cities and one province. Based on G*Power, 184 questionnaires were distributed, and 173 valid questionnaires were analyzed. Data were collected from October 2 to November 29, 2024, after Institutional Review Board approval. IBM SPSS version 29.0 was used for descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Mann–Whitney U tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression.Results: Participants comprised 29 males (16.8%) and 144 females (83.2%). Significant factors associated with digital professionalism were digital norms (β=.37, p<.001), digital education experience (β=.22, p=.001), and sex (β=.14, p=.025). The regression model explained 33.2% of the variance in digital professionalism. Higher digital norms, digital education experience, and being female were associated with higher levels of digital professionalism.Conclusion: Digital norms emerged as a factor influencing students’ digital professionalism, indicating that ethical awareness and normative understanding are foundational for professional behavior in digital healthcare environments. These findings suggest that nursing education should shift from skill-based digital training to digital expertise development integrating ethical judgment, accountability, professional boundary settings, and responsible online engagement.
Hana Yoo, N. Kim· The Journal of Korean Academ...· 0 citations
ABSTRACT Background The transition from undergraduate to postgraduate medical education is a crucial phase of professional development, requiring trainees to assume greater clinical responsibility and adapt to new social norms. This transition influences professional identity formation (PIF), which is important for safe practice, well‐being and resilience. We conducted a scoping review to map studies of PIF during this transition and synthesise the key findings of this body of literature. Methods We searched five databases for studies published between January 2000 and December 2023. Eligibility criteria guided inclusion. We extracted relevant information and PRISMA‐ScR reporting elements and used inductive thematic analysis to synthesise findings. Results Twenty‐one studies met the inclusion criteria, representing mixed‐methods, qualitative and quantitative designs and diverse theoretical approaches to PIF. Only one study explicitly defined ‘transition’. Most studies (n = 14) were descriptive; two were justification studies, and five aimed to clarify mechanisms, contextual influences and theoretical underpinnings. Four themes described factors influencing PIF in the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate education: navigating the self, the system, clinical practice and collaboration. Conclusions Supporting early‐career doctors requires more than fostering resilience. Training environments must reduce systemic barriers, model professional values and create relational spaces where emerging doctors can belong, reflect and grow. Future research should move beyond description towards theoretically informed, multi‐context studies that examine mechanisms underlying these influences and generate transferable, actionable knowledge for those supporting trainees during this transition.
Juliana Sá, Ana L. da Silva, Pia Strand et al.· The Clinical Teacher· 0 citations
Background Spiritual care is a fundamental yet often under-addressed component of holistic nursing, with nurses and nursing students globally reporting limited competency. Traditional education models face challenges in accessibility, scalability, and pedagogical depth. While digital technologies offer transformative potential for learning, the evidence regarding their application and effectiveness in spiritual care education remains fragmented and insufficiently synthesized. Objective This scoping review aims to systematically map the existing literature on the use of digital technologies in spiritual care education and training specifically for nurses and nursing students. Methods The review will be conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews and reported per the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search will be performed across multiple databases (e.g., MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, WanFang) from inception, supplemented by grey literature searches. Two independent reviewers will screen records, select studies, and extract data using a standardized form. We will include empirical studies focusing on digital interventions (e.g., online courses, mobile apps, virtual simulations) designed to develop spiritual care competency in the target population. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Anticipated results The review will generate a comprehensive map and classification of existing digital spiritual education interventions, detailing their technological characteristics, pedagogical strategies, outcome measures, and implementation facilitators and barriers. It is expected to identify key evidence gaps and inconsistencies in the field. For example, we anticipate identifying virtual simulation, online modules, and mobile apps as the most common categories. Significance This will be the first scoping review to systematically consolidate evidence on digital spiritual education for nurses. The findings will provide a foundational resource to inform the future design, implementation, and evaluation of theoretically grounded, effective, and scalable digital training models, ultimately aiming to enhance spiritual care competence in nursing practice. Systematic review registration OSF registration number: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/7VNHF.
Peiyu Sun, Ya Shi, Guo Chen et al.· PLoS ONE· 0 citations
Although BL is highly effective in HPE, its long-term sustainability depends on transitioning from ad hoc implementation to institutionally supported, theory-driven instructional design, and educators and higher education institutions should prioritise intentional pedagogical design and sustained institutional support.
Mira Istiana, Eveline Siregar, T. Iriani et al.· Jurnal Paedagogy· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) define essential professional tasks and responsibilities that can inform curriculum, teaching, supervision, developmental progression and assessment. Despite widespread implementation in postgraduate medical education, experiences and perceptions of EPAs remain fragmented, raising questions about how they are translated into practice.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis of studies exploring participant experiences and perceptions of EPA implementation in postgraduate medical education. Six databases were searched from inception to August 2024 and updated in April 2025. Eligible studies included qualitative and mixed-methods designs that examined learners, faculty, administrators or other groups involved in EPA use. Data were extracted in duplicate and analysed using Thomas and Harden's thematic synthesis approach. Methodological quality was assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist, and confidence in findings was appraised with the GRADE-CERQual framework.
RESULTS
From 7027 records, 23 studies involving 443 participants were included. Studies spanned Canada, the United States, Europe, and New Zealand across diverse specialties. Thematic synthesis yielded five interrelated themes: design tensions; growth and performance; faculty preparedness, engagement and consistency; psychological climate; and anchoring in institutional scaffolds. Participants valued EPAs for clarifying expectations, structuring feedback and supporting developmental progression. However, many experiences were shaped by assessment-dominant implementation, in which EPAs were encountered primarily through forms, entrustment ratings, completion requirements and progression decisions. Administrative burden, faculty uncertainty, learner anxiety and strategic completion contributed to this narrowed enactment.
CONCLUSIONS
EPAs were often experienced less as broad frameworks for organising professional development and more as assessment infrastructure. Future implementation should focus on translating EPAs as intended: essential professional activities that guide curriculum, supervision, feedback and assessment within supportive educational systems.
J. Phung, L. Cowley, Lindsey Sikora et al.· Medical Education· 0 citations
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