Article Professional self-concept of nurses: a comparative study of four strata of nursing students in a Canadian university David Arthur and Sally Thorne This study represents an effort to refine our understanding of measurement of professional self- concept by testing a tool across various strata of nursing students. The Professional Self Concept of Nurses Instrument, developed in studies of Australian nursing students, was applied to samples of basic undergraduate, post-basic and graduate students in a Canadian university nursing programme. The findings suggest that the tool is sensitive to the predictable development of professional self- concept as students advance through professional education, especially in the dimensions of professional practice and satisfaction. The authors propose that the instrument may have specific applications in evaluating the effects of traditional and innovative educational strategies upon the evolution of professional self-concept in nurses. David Arthur RN, BAppSci, BEd(Stud), MEd(Stud), PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Health Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Horn, Kowloon Hong Kong Sally Thorne RN, PhD, Associate Professor, UBC School of Nursing, Vancouver, BC, Canada (Requestsfor offprints to DA) Manuscript accepted: 29 April 1997 Introduction Professional self-concept has been the focus of a considerable body of nursing inquiry in recent years. Factors such as the role of women in society, changing patterns of professional education and socialization, and escalating demands within the nursing workplace are all believed to create significant challenges to a positive professional self-concept within nurses. Moreover, the potential to improve its collective self-concept has been cited as one of nursing's greatest sources of future development (Strasen 1989). Thus, despite its complexity and multidimensionality, there has been considerable interest in describing and quantifying professional self-concept. The purpose of investigating influencing factors and measuring the success of intervention strategies is toward improving the professional self-concept of nurses in both general and specific contexts. Adoption of well developed and standardized instruments or techniques of measurement is indicated if conclusions are to be drawn about the effects of educational or clinical experiences on a person's professional self-concept. Use of such instruments should help the nursing profession to explore longitudinally and amongst different groups, changes in professional self-concept, while developing a deeper understanding of this concept. It would be glib to suggest that altering professional self-concept is easy because, as for self-concept, such characteristics are complicated and multifactorial. Self-concept is typically considered a relatively enduring organization of affective and evaluative beliefs that predispose one to respond with some degree of probability in predictable directions (Bums 1979). Like other attitudes, the components of self-concept can be described and measured through the use of specially constructed self- report instruments. A positive self-concept can be inferred from positive self-evaluation, self- respect, self-esteem and self-acceptance; in contrast, depiction of a self-concept as negative implies negative self-evaluation, self-hatred, inferiority, and the absence of feelings of personal 380 Nurse Education Today (1998) 18, 380-388 © 1998 Harcourt Brace & Co. Ltd