Clinical Supervisors' and Educators' Perspectives on Conditions Forming Nursing Students' Professional Identity: A Qualitative Focus Group Study

Professional identity formation is a pivotal element of nursing education shaped by educational structures and by the roles of clinical supervisors and educators. This qualitative study examines how these stakeholders perceive their role in supporting nursing students' professional identity development and the conditions that influence this process. The empirical material was generated from six focus groups with clinical supervisors from somatic, psychiatric, and home care settings, and educators from diverse teams at a university college. Drawing on critical psychological practice research, the analysis centers on participants' interpretations, their reasons for acting as they do, and the broader societal and institutional conditions framing their practice. Three themes emerged: challenges arising from dual roles, perceived student vulnerability and its impact on the learning process, and a constructed distinction between professionalism and personality in identity formation. The findings illustrate the complex dynamics that, according to participants, shape nursing students' professional identity and highlight the importance of moving beyond explanations of individual shortcomings toward an understanding of challenges as embedded in everyday educational practices. This perspective emphasizes the need for structural changes that foster collaborative and reflective practices and better support students, clinical supervisors, and educators in navigating the complexities of nursing education.