Abstract:

Introduction: Student nurses’ professional self development can be ensured by enhancing their social support perceptions. By promoting the attachment of student nurses, who are the future nursing workforce, to the nursing profession, the quality of care can be increased. Aim: This study aims to identify the effect of nursing students’ perceived social support on their professional self development. Method: This study was conducted with a descriptive and cross-sectional design at a university in Turkey. The data were collected between 21 and 25 November 2022. The research sample comprised 194 students from the nursing department. The data were evaluated using descriptive and relational statistics. Results: The average age of the students was 20.63 ± 1.57 years, 83.51% were female and 68.04% of them lived with their families. The participants had a mean score of 141.46 ± 19.96 on the Professional Self-Concept Scale in Student Nurses and 64.73 ± 13.25 on the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. A weak positive relationship between students’ perceived social support and professional self concept was identified (r = 0.188; p < 0.05). According to the regression analysis, students’ perceived social support affected their professional self concept development positively (R2 = 0.035; p < 0.05). Conclusion: It was determined that the level of social support perceived by the participants affected their development of professional self-concept positively. By increasing the perceived social support of the students, professional self development can be increased. There is a need to determine other factors affecting the professional self in nursing students.

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