Author – Mary Ann Siciliano McLaughlin
First published – 2026
Major Concepts
Professional identity in nursing is a global movement that prioritizes the formation of nurses from the time when they decide to become nurses, through their studies and throughout their career continuum as lifelong learners.
The Theory of Nursing Professional Identity Formation is positioned in the context of (1) the traditional metaparadigm of nursing; (2) the four domains of professional identity in nursing and (3) the contextual factors of the conceptual model of professional identity in nursing.
Typology – Middle Range Theory
Brief Description
This middle-range theory builds upon previous seminal theoretical and conceptual work in nursing to better explain what it means to “think, act and feel like a nurse” within a healthy work culture throughout their career. Establishing this theory allows for consistency in the education, practice and lifelong learning of nurses.
The theory begins with the four components of the traditional nursing metaparadigm. The best way to approach this model is from the top left corner at person and proceed clockwise.
The person is someone whose vision of nursing is based upon the concept of social identity and societal norms they have learned throughout their life. This future nurse is a nurse from the time when they decide to enter nursing school and continues throughout their education and career. Finally, the attributes of a person continue to evolve, adapt, and grow as the person begins to develop, and then refine their ability to “think act and feel like a nurse” throughout their career. They are influenced by their perceived membership in the culture of the nursing profession.
There is a shared standard between academia and practice. The bridge begins in the nursing paradigm, and is influenced by their career continuum, lifelong learning, and assimilation of the attributes of a nurse. This paradigm continues into environment, where the goal is for the nurse to ultimately improve the patient environment, for patients in all roles and settings.
Health fosters a healthy workplace culture where a nurse can encounter the depth of human experience in their patients. Nurses impact patient health by maximizing the health and well-being of those in their care.
Each area of the Metaparadigm is represented by a circle allowing for growth within each area. The trajectory shows progression and overlap, between the components. The proximity of the circles to one another, along with the lines between the circles, serve to encapsulate the four components of the metaparadigm and allow for connection between them.
The five contextual factors (political, demographical, cultural, historical, and societal) surround the outcomes of the theory. These factors are situated here to represent how the contexts influence, and must be considered within, each area of the metaparadigm.
The four domains (values and ethics; knowledge; professional comportment; and nurse as leader) are strategically placed and acknowledge the work needed to occur between the circles. Since the domains connect the circles it’s also possible for all of the domains to influence each area of the metaparadigm.
The Theory of Nursing Professional Identity Formation has synergistic implications in both academia and practice which encourages professional nurses to ‘think, act, and feel like a nurse’ within a healthy work culture, where civility and respect is expected and achieved, throughout their career.
The Theory of Nursing Professional Identity Formation will allow nursing, as a discipline, to grow and evolve, facilitating collaborative efforts between academia and practice, while, supporting the future research and dissemination of evidence, to be able to influence health and social care policy.
Primary Source
McLaughlin MAS. The theory of nursing professional identity formation. Journal of Research in Nursing. 2026;0(0). doi:10.1177/17449871261485854
About Mary Ann Siciliano McLaughlin
Mary Ann Siciliano McLaughlin, Ed.D, MSN, RN, ANEF is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Rutgers University – Camden School of Nursing. Dr. McLaughlin is an experienced nurse, educator, leader, author, clinical editor and consultant in nursing. Dr. McLaughlin is passionate about developing and mentoring future and current professional nurses. She strives to positively contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession.
Dr. McLaughlin’s areas of experience, and expertise include cardiac nursing, medical surgical nursing, education, publishing, NCLEX, disease management, telehealth, nursing management, professional identity, leadership, and ethics. The main focus of her scholarship revolves around ethical practice in nursing. She has presented locally, nationally, and internationally relating to her scholarship on ethics and her model, The Siciliano-McLaughlin Model of Ethics. Recently, she focuses on scholarship relating to nursing professional identity. Her new middle0rabhe theory, The Theory of Nursing Professional Identity Formation, was published in 2026.