Professionalism from the perspective of nurses with advanced practice

Introduction: Professionalism is a multidimensional and dynamic concept that can be understood and interpreted differently depending on time, job position, or culture context. Objective: To investigate how nurses with advanced practice interpret and understand professionalism in the Slovak sociocultural context. Methods: This qualitative study adopted an interpretative design. The sample consisted of seven advanced practice nurses (APNs). Data were collected between November 2021 and December 2022 using semi -structured interviews. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Professionalism was interpreted through five meaningful themes: Management support; Professional socialization; Nurse professional; Challenges and problems of professionalism in nursing; Relationships. Advanced practice nurses interpreted professionalism as a multidimensional concept that encompasses several interconnected attributes. Nurses highlighted the role of professional organization, the importance of professional socialization, education, and lifelong learning as important attributes in building and maintaining professionalism - and considered the nurse shortage to be one of the biggest challenges that threatens professionalism. Conclusion: Advanced practice nurses contribute to the sustainability of the health system. Their understanding and interpretation of professionalism may support the nursing profession in general.