Professional Identity Among Allied Healthcare Professionals: Dimensions of Attributes Relevant to Patient Care

Objectives Allied healthcare professionals (AHP) maintain a distinct professional identity (PI) while delivering service. The PI influences an individual’s attitudes and behaviours, including the interactions within and outside their profession. The PI of AHP with diverse backgrounds has been less studied. This study aimed to assess the PI of nurses, mental health counsellors (MHC), and HIV/AIDS counsellors (HAC) to understand their distinct perspectives and factors influencing them. Material and Methods Data were collected with a purposive sample of 272 AHP across specialties using a composite scale, the PI scale for AHP (PIS-AHP), and analysed through descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, Tukey’s post hoc test, and regression analysis. Results The PI among HACs, MHCs, and nurses in the areas of philosophy of the profession, professional role and expertise, engagement behaviour, and values differed significantly, but knowledge and professional attitude did not. Regression analysis for the total sample indicated that the educational qualification and profession significantly influenced PI. The PIS-AHP had acceptable reliability and validity in the Indian sample studied. Conclusion The PI of AHPs differed significantly overall and in various aspects. Profession and education predicted PI. As PI affects the quality of patient care, professional roles, and development, this needs to be supported for individual AHP through organisational structures of further training and coordinated efforts.