%0 Journal Article
%T Exploring the Relationship Between Life Meaning and Occupational Identity Among Nursing Students in China: A Cross-Sectional Study
%A Tang Yi
%A Xu Yan
%J Journal of Integrative Nursing and Palliative Care
%@ 3006-5550
%D 2024
%V 5
%N 1
%R 10.51847/TrEHE3x19u
%P 153-160
%X After China adjusted its epidemic prevention policies, a nationwide surge of COVID-19 occurred from December 2022 to January 2023. The pandemic’s influence extended beyond personal reflections on life and death, also shaping how nursing students perceive their professional roles. This study investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced nursing students’ sense of life meaning and their occupational identity. Data were collected through an online questionnaire that included the Chinese versions of the Nursing Student Career Identity Scale and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. The survey also gathered demographic and background information such as gender, education level, clinical internship experience, and COVID-19 infection status. Nursing students reported moderate levels of both professional identity (M = 61.58, SD = 16.16) and life meaning (M = 45.29, SD = 12.65). When compared with data prior to the pandemic, their professional identity scores increased, whereas their sense of life meaning declined. A significant positive relationship was found between the two variables (p < 0.001), indicating that students with a stronger sense of life meaning tended to show higher levels of professional identity. Fostering a deeper sense of life meaning among nursing students plays an essential role in maintaining and strengthening their professional identity. Nursing education programs should incorporate life education and relevant learning activities to support this development.
%U https://journalinpc.com/article/exploring-the-relationship-between-life-meaning-and-occupational-identity-among-nursing-students-in-xhosalrunsz4jcb