The Evaluation of Professional Self-esteem of Nurses and Social Workers Before and After Graduation

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The research was conducted in order to evaluate the alterations in vocational self-esteem of nurses and social workers before and after graduation. METHODS: The study is descriptive. The research began with 112 students before graduation and 40 of the participants were reached after their graduation. In the study, the pre-and-post graduate data of these 40 students were evaluated. The 'Professional Self-Esteem Scale' was used as a data collection means. The scale was carried out to the students twice; first before graduation and second, after one year of their graduation. While analyzing the research data; the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare quantitative variables between groups and Pearson Chi-square and Fisher' Exact for the relations between categorical variables. RESULTS: In this study when the participants' scores of Professional Self-Esteem Scale were analyzed; the average score was determined as 114,72+-17,32 for the students in the Nursing Department and 121,18+-17,63 for the students in Social Work Department. After graduation score of Nursing and Social Work Department students from the Professional Self-Esteem Scale was significantly lower than the score measured before graduation (p<0,001, p<0,001). The Professional Self-Esteem Scale score of Nursing and Social Work Department students were significantly lower one year after graduation than those measured before graduation (p<0,001, p<0,001). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In this study, which was carried out to evaluate the alterations in the pre-and post-graduate professional self-esteem of nurses and social workers, it has been examined that the professional self-esteem of nurses and social workers decline after graduation.

Keywords

• nurse
• social worker
• professional self esteem
• working conditions
• education