Longitudinal study on professional identity and future self-continuity of undergraduate nursing students

To investigate the longitudinal developmental trajectories and bidirectional predictive relationships between professional identity and future self-continuity in undergraduate nursing students, providing a theoretical basis for targeted interventions to enhance future development of the nursing profession. A longitudinal cohort study among undergraduate nursing students in China. A longitudinal study involved 260 nursing undergraduates from Zhejiang Province, China, selected through non-probability sampling. Data were collected at five time points: T1 (2021, enrollment), T2 (2022, end of the first year), T3 (2023, end of the sophomore year), T4 (2024, end of the junior year), and T5 (2025, end of the internship). Measures included the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nurse Students (PIQNS) and Future Self-Continuity Questionnaire (FSCQ). Statistical analyses included Spearman correlation, box-and-violin plots, and cross-lagged panel modeling using SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.11. Professional identity scores demonstrated an inverted “U”-shaped distribution, peaking at T3 and declining at T5, while future self-continuity scores followed a “U”-shaped curve, highest at T1 and lowest at T3. Significant positive correlations between professional identity and future self-continuity were found at all time points. Cross-lagged analysis revealed unidirectional prediction of FSC by PI during T2→T3 and T3→T4, while FSC significantly predicted PI during T4→T5. Both constructs demonstrated temporal stability. Professional identity and future self-continuity follow distinct developmental patterns, with clinical internships reshaping their relationship. These findings underscore the need for stage-specific interventions to improve nursing talent retention.