What makes nursing a profession: professionalization elements

Background: Many endogenous and exogenous elements influence the process of nursing professionalization, forming the three core dimensions of professionalization: knowledge, power and ethics. Following theoretical starting-points, our leading thesis is that in the case of Slovenia nursing is developing gradually into profession. Deriving from cross-sectional survey which embraced twenty health care organizations our goal is to explore key elements of nursing professionalization in Slovenia. Methods: Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, contingency analysis (chi-square test) and ordinary least squares multivariate linear regression with and without control variables (robustness test), both based on indexation. For nursing professionals and members of professional management adjusted questionnaire was designed. Results: Professional attributes in Slovenia are present in nursing professionals aged more than 51 years with more than 26 years of working experiences, employed on primary level of health care system, involved in ELP for at least 5 times per year and reading more professional nursing journals. They perceive that the acquisition of new specific knowledge means contribution for their HCO and raising their expert power as well. The presence of LLL, professional autonomy and specific knowledge in nursing indicate rather clear and statistically significant positive impact, while ethics in nursing only marginal statistically significant positive impact on nursing professionalization. Conclusions: Identification of professional elements in some segments of the nursing population in Slovenia allows further educational and policy planning as well as research into implications for nursing practice and quality of care in general.