Influential factors on the internalization of professional values among nurses: a qualitative study

Abstract Background Internalization of nursing professional values is a process which starts before entering nursing and continues throughout the studentship period and actual professional practice. Differences among nurses respecting the internalization of professional values can lead to conflicts in decision making. Many different factors can influence the internalization of professional values. Nonetheless, there are limited studies in this area, particularly in Iran. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the influential factors on the internalization of professional values among nurses. Methods This exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2020–2021. Study participants were 23 nurses purposively recruited from eight hospitals in Tehran, Tabriz, and Urmia, Iran. Data were collected via in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews and were analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings: The influential factors on the internalization of professional values among nurses came into three main themes, namely personal values before entering university, values learned during studentship, and work-related factors. Conclusions Personal values before entering university, values learned during studentship, and work-related factors can influence the internalization of professional values among nurses. Therefore, nursing managers and policy makers need to use strategies to determine and manage the challenges of studentship and professional practice periods in order to create appropriate educational and professional context for training competent and professional nursing staff and facilitating their internalization of professional values. Effective communication between nursing education and practice can also facilitate nurses’ internalization of professional values and professionalization and improve their professional commitment.