The Relationship between Clinical belongingness and Professional Behavior in Nursing Students

Introduction: Professional belongingness is one of the most important aspects of studentschr('39') clinical work experience. An understanding of the relation between students’ belongingness on clinical setting and their professional behavior can significantly aid in promoting their professional behavior. This study determined the correlation between nursing students’ dependence on the clinical setting and their professional behavior. Methods: This research is a descriptive analytical study in which 110 third and fourth year nursing students  at Islamic Azad University, Yazd Branch, were included in the study as a sample. Sampling was done by census method. Data were collected using questionnaires of demographic with 9 items, Levett-Jones clinical belongingness with 34 items and Goze professional behavior with 27 items. These questionnaires have been used in several studies and their validity has been assessed using content validity and reliability using Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient. After completion, the data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics (Pearson, t-test) by SPSS software version 16. Result: The total score of professional behavior and clinical belongingness on clinical setting were 111.06 ± 16.38 and 118.69 ± 16.38, respectively. The subscales of efficiency (71.98 ±13.19), self-esteem (61/99 ± 11.56), and connectivity (42.62 ± 17.00) had the highest weight in the scores of clinical belongingness, respectively. Besides, there was a direct significant correlation between “belongingness on clinical setting and its dimensions” and “professional behavior”, based on Pearson correlation test (r = 548 and P = 0.000). Conclusion: The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between belonging and professional behavior. This means that with increasing belonging, professional behavior improves. Thus, educational decision-makers and instructors/educators can enhance nursing students’ professional behavior through using appropriate educational strategies and creating a supportive environment to increase feelings of belongingness clinical setting.