AIM The purpose of this study was to explore professional identity formation (PIF) of nurse educators teaching in bachelor of science in nursing programs in the United States. BACKGROUND Nurse educators must foster students’ PIF, yet no research was found on how nurse educators form their own professional identity as nurse educators. METHOD A grounded theory design was used; semistructured interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed. FINDINGS Five themes emerged from this study: PIF is a journey, dual identities, signpost events, flourish versus flounder, and finding community. A theoretical model illustrating the process of PIF of nurse educators was created. CONCLUSION There is a need for strategies to foster PIF and sense of community among nurse educators. The study findings may be applicable to other nursing specialties.
Shelly Amsberry (Mon,) studied this question.