A behavioral inventory for professionalism in nursing.

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of an evaluative behavioral inventory based on Miller's Model for Professionalism in Nursing and to report results of an investigation of registered nurses (RNs) in eight western states. The Professionalism in Nursing Inventory was mailed to 1,600 computer-generated randomly selected names of RNs, resulting in 515 complete and usable inventories. Results indicated that the majority of respondents demonstrated professional behaviors in continuing education activities, autonomous quality assurance participation, community service, and a theory-based nursing practice. Behaviors not considered a priority with a majority of the respondents were publication, research activities, and participation in the constituent state organizations of the American Nurses Association. Approximately 4 per cent of the respondents commented that employing agencies and administrative (nursing) personnel were concerned with output, not professional behaviors. More than 91 per cent of these respondents believed that a self-evaluative instrument for professional behaviors was necessary and that the tool should be developed by nurses.