Intentions to advance professional identity attributes among DNP students: The make it POP series leadership pilot program study

Background: Make It POP (Pathway Optimizing Professionalism) Series (MIPS) leadership educational sessions were developed and taught by the Dean as a curricular focus on professionalism for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students. Purpose: Evaluating the association between Behavioral Beliefs, Normative Beliefs, Control Beliefs, and Intention to advance professional identity and values was a focus of this study. A secondary focus was to discern whether these Belief measures and attendance to the MIPS education series were predictive of Intention to increase professional identity and values. Method: Over a two-year period, 227 students were invited to attend the MIPS courses, which included four once per semester sessions. Students were invited to complete a survey structured around the tenants of the Theory of Planned Behavior prior to attending the MIPS and following each session; 91 students completed the survey at least once. Results: A significant relationship was not noted between attendance to one or more MIPS sessions and Intention to advance professional identity and values. Behavioral Beliefs and Control Beliefs had the strongest associations with Intentions, but normative beliefs were not significantly associated with Intentions. Conclusion: Integrating curricular innovation with meaningful engagement and reflection in DNP education may advance DNP student's commitment for sustained professional growth.