Professional Identity in Nursing: A Narrative Review of the ISPIN Definition and Domains Usage.

Abstract

<h4>Introduction</h4>Established in 2020, the International Society for Professional Identity in Nursing (ISPIN) developed a definition of professional identity in nursing (PIN). This definition encompasses four domains: values and ethics, knowledge, nurse as leader, and professional comportment.<h4>Objective</h4>This narrative review aimed to summarize and synthesize identified published evidence, the extent of discussion of PIN domains, and literature gaps for the ISPIN definition of PIN.<h4>Methods</h4>Sources included peer-reviewed literature published between 2018 to 2025 from CINAHL and PubMed. Gray literature through Google Scholar and ISPIN archived publications were also searched. These were identified by two researchers and a PRISMA flow diagram was developed. No registered protocol was utilized. Search and MeSH terms included "professional identity," "nurs*," and "ISPIN."<h4>Findings</h4>Thirty-seven articles met inclusion criteria and were extracted from 16,295 initially identified articles, with the majority with authors from the United States. There were very few research papers and a noticeable dearth using quantitative methodologies. Twenty-eight of the retrieved articles were considered expert accounts, conceptual discussion or opinions, common for a relatively new concept.<h4>Discussion</h4>Nurse as leader was discussed in 34 of 37 articles. Professional comportment was discussed in 31 articles. Both knowledge and value and ethics were discussed in 28 articles.<h4>Conclusion</h4>This narrative review highlights the nature and prevalence of the ISPIN definitions and its four domains in current literature and can be visualized through diagramming. Minimal quantitative studies and a higher volume of discussion articles present limitations to its strength and applicability. Results suggests the need for further research in all domains, particularly in <i>knowledge</i> and <i>values and ethics</i>, and its implications in strengthening nursing practice and education.