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Learning Objective #1: describe the theoretical model of the professionalization process in the nursing profession.

Learning Objective #2: analyze the applicability of the model to nursing in their home country.

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Globally, nurses adopted professionalization as their model for development, yet the professionalization process itself is not well understood within the context of the nursing profession.  For much of the developing world, the professionalization of nurses receives little attention in nursing or medical literature, let alone at the domestic policy level.  Given the global shortage of nursing human resources, understanding the process of professionalization in the developing country context becomes an important component in developing policies that can facilitate the production of nurses through a professionalization model.  Using a case study approach to facilitate the creation of a theoretical model of professionalization, the author studied the professionalization of nursing in Mexico between the years of 1980 and 2005.  A general thematic analysis of four hundred primary and secondary sources along with 32 interviews of nurses from rural and urban areas comprised the study.  The analysis produced nine significant factors external to the nursing profession that influence the professionalization process: The economy, the political context, international forces, the health care system’s design and management, gender, sociocultural elements specific to the country, historical legacies, the influence of unions, and the education system.  All of these external factors influence the internal process of professionalization within the nursing profession.  The degree of influence of each factor will vary based on context.  By studying these factors and their influence on the nursing profession, researchers and policy makers will be able to design policies and programs that facilitate professionalization process and identify country specific obstacles to the professionalization process.  With further testing, the model has the potential to facilitate the production of nursing human resources and contribute to reducing the global nursing shortage.  This presentation will describe the model and the relationship of the variables to the professionalization process.