The Turkish adaptation study of the professional identity scale

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Professional identity encompasses the understanding of professional practices and the development of values and skills within a specific profession. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the suitability of the 9-item Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale, originally developed by Adams et al. (2006), for Turkish culture and examine its psychometric properties in a sample of postgraduate nurses. METHODS: The study was conducted using a methodological approach. The sample consisted of 100 postgraduate nurses. Various analyses were conducted, including descriptive statistics of the scale, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, item-total score correlation, and scale response bias for reliability assessments. Validity analyses included assessments of language, content, construct validity, concurrent validity, and known group validity. RESULTS: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the 9-item Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale was found to be 0.85, indicating good internal consistency. Item-total score correlations ranged from 0.34 to 0.88. The confirmatory factor analysis goodness of fit indices, except for the AGFI index, had acceptable values after two modifications. The single-factor structure of the scale was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. For concurrent validity, the scale demonstrated a positive and robust correlation with scores from the Nursing Professional Commitment Scale, supporting its validity. In terms of predictive validity, a regression model was established to assess the relationship between independent variables and core professional identity, and the model was found to be at acceptable levels. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the Turkish adaptation of the 9-item unidimensional “Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale” demonstrates acceptable levels of validity and reliability when administered to postgraduate nurses in Turkey.