Exploring the Professional Identity of Advanced Clinical Practitioners: Constructivist ethnographic qualitative research study

Background: The Advanced clinical practitioner, is a healthcare professional who has undertaken additional years of Master's level training, acquired new skills and capabilities and developed as an autonomous practitioner. Purpose: Whilst several studies have appraised and analysed this professional role, there are limited empirical studies that have explored professional identity formation within this group. This paper explores this evolution. Method: Through a constructivist ethnographic approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with seven qualified Advanced clinical practitioners within a secondary care setting. We identified key issues regarding professional identity formation. Results: Our research highlights the lack of role recognition which acts as a barrier to Advanced clinical practitioner professional identity formation and further development. Conclusion: Professional identity is an intertwined concept and without enhancing all the components involved in identity formation, the solo individual component cannot enact the formation of a new identity if this is not legitimated by the other components too, including personal, socio-cultural, educational and institutional.