ObjectiveTo understand the status quo of professional identity of nursing students in higher vocational college, analyze the relationship between empathy, career decision-making self-efficacy and vocational identity, and provide countermeasure and basis for improving professional identity of nursing students in higher vocational college.

MethodsA total of 1 269 nursing students in higher vocational college were investigated with general information questionnaire, scale of empathy for nursing students, scale of career decision-making self-efficacy for university students and professional identity questionnaire for nurse students. The influencing factors of professional identity, and the relationship between empathy, career decision-making self-efficacy and professional identity of nursing students in higher vocational college were analyzed.

ResultsUnivariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the professional identity scores of nursing students in higher vocational college with different gender, grade, family atmosphere, relationship with classmates, relationship with teachers, learning status, school record and nursing being the first major or not (P < 0.01). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the total scores and scores of each dimension of empathy of nursing students in higher vocational college were significantly positively correlated with the total scores of professional identity (P < 0.01), and the total scores and scores of each dimension of career decision-making self-efficacy of nursing students in higher vocational college were significantly positively correlated with the total scores of professional identity (P < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the influencing factors of professional identity of nursing students in higher vocational college from high to low were as follows: career decision-making self-efficacy, learning status, nursing being the first major or not, empathy and relationship with teachers (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).

ConclusionsThe stronger the empathy of nursing students in higher vocational college, the higher level of career decision-making self-efficacy and professional identity are. The professional identity of nursing students in higher vocational college needs to be strengthened. School administrators and nursing educators should be aware of the importance of professional identity, and adopt targeted intervention measures to improve professional identity of nursing students in higher vocational college and stabilize nursing team.