Framework for apprenticeship in ethical comportment and formation

Abstract

Recently the literature on preparing students for nursing and other professions has emphasized the need for attention to civility, ethical comportment, and formation of professional identity.  Nursing educators play a key role in supporting the formation of ethical comportment and professional nursing identity. Although a number of frameworks exist for the formation of identity, there are none that address the interaction between nursing educators and students or the role of nursing educators in implementing effective pedagogies for formation. In this article a framework developed from existing literature is proposed to guide nursing educator practice in stimulating and supporting the process of professional identity formation and ethical comportment in nursing students. The framework will also serve as a guide for future research in the process of formation of ethical comportment and professional identity.