Professionalism among healthcare workers forms the cornerstone of safe, effective, and ethical healthcare delivery. It places the well-being and interests of the patient or client at the core, aligning with public expectations and ensuring it remains central to all clinical decisions and actions. As a dynamic and evolving concept, professionalism is based on key professional values, including respect for oneself and others, compassion, self-awareness, honesty, integrity, accountability, and a dedication to ongoing improvement and self-regulation. Therefore, it is crucial to foster an environment that supports professionalism and establish a robust training system to promote these values. The review article portrayed the need for a comprehensive and learner centric assessment of nursing students on nursing professionalism. The article points out the theories that are underline the comprehensive assessment of nursing professionalism among nursing students. The classification of the assessment of nursing professionalism, Workplace Based Assessment (WPBA) that can be used as a learner-centered instructional approach is revealed. The advantages and disadvantages of this learner centric method are highlighted, along with remedial measures for the limitations of this recommended method. The investigators ascertained that the WPBA is effective as an assessment for learning nursing professionalism.

Keywords: WPBA, learner-centered instructional approach, nursing professionalism, assessment of nursing professionalism,Professionalism

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Modi JN, Anshu, Gupta P, Singh T. Teaching and assessing professionalism in the Indian context. Indian Pediatr. 2014 Nov;51(11):881–8. doi:10.1007/s13312-014-0521-x. PMID: 25432217.
2. Kassabry M, Al-Kalaldeh M, Ayed A, Abu-Shosha G. The impact of applying unfolding case-study learning on critical care nursing students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and self-efficacy; a quasi-experimental study. Nurse Educ Pract. 2024 Jul;78:104015. doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2024.104015. Epub 2024 Jun 3. PMID: 38852273.
3. Kadeangadi DM. Workplace-based assessment for improving clinical performance: A shift from assessment of learning to assessment for learning in medical education. Indian J Health Sci Biomed Res KLEU. 2022;15(2):Article 2. doi:10.4103/kleuhsj.kleuhsj_412_22. Available from:

       https://kleijhsbr.researchcommons.org/journal/vol15/iss2/2.

4. Prakash J, Chatterjee K, Srivastava K, Chauhan VS, Sharma R. Workplace based assessment: A review of available tools and their relevance. Ind Psychiatry J. 2020 Jul–Dec;29(2):200–4. doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj_225_20. Epub 2021 Mar 15. PMID: 34158702; PMCID: PMC8188940.
5. Zhang WY, Peng Y, Zhuang HR, Yu HP, Liu Q, Gu Y, et al. Application of direct observation of operational skills in nursing skill evaluation of pressure injury: A randomized clinical trial. Int Wound J. 2024 Mar;21(3):e14498. doi:10.1111/iwj.14498. Epub 2023 Dec 4. PMID: 38050456; PMCID: PMC10898409.
6. Ota Y, Aikawa G, Nishimura A, Kawashima T, Imanaka R, Sakuramoto H. Effects of educational methods using extended reality on pre-registration nursing students’ knowledge, skill, confidence, and satisfaction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nurse Educ Today. 2024 Oct;141:106313. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106313. Epub 2024 Jul 17. PMID: 39042984.
7. Jasemi M, Ahangarzadeh Rezaie S, Hemmati Maslakpak M, Parizad N. Are workplace-based assessment methods (DOPS and Mini–CEX) effective in nursing students’ clinical skills? A single-blind randomized, parallel group, controlled trial. Contemp Nurse. 2019 Dec;55(6):565–75. doi:10.1080/10376178.2020.1735941. Epub 2020 Mar 9. PMID: 32107975.
8. World Health Organization. State of the world’s nursing 2020: Investing in education, jobs and leadership. Geneva: WHO; 2020 [cited 2025 Sep 11]. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003279.
9. Prakash J, Chatterjee K, Srivastava K, Chauhan VS, Sharma R. Workplace based assessment: A review of available tools and their relevance. Ind Psychiatry J. 2020 Jul–Dec;29(2):200–4. doi: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_225_20. Epub 2021 Mar 15. PMID: 34158702; PMCID: PMC8188940.
10. Donmez RO, Ozsoy S. Factors influencing development of professional values among nursing students. Pak J Med Sci. 2016 Jul–Aug;32(4):988–93. doi:10.12669/pjms.324.10616. PMID: 27648054; PMCID: PMC5017117.
11. Schuwirth LW, Van der Vleuten CP. Programmatic assessment: From assessment of learning to assessment for learning. Med Teach. 2011;33(6):478–85. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2011.565828. PMID: 21609177.
12. Hengameh H, Afsaneh R, Morteza K, Hosein M, Marjan SM, Abbas E. The effect of applying direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) on nursing students’ clinical skills: A randomized clinical trial. Glob J Health Sci. 2015 Mar 26;7(7 Spec No):17–21. doi:10.5539/gjhs.v7n7p17. PMID: 26153199; PMCID: PMC4803945.
13. Jafarpoor H, Hosseini M, Sohrabi M, Mehmannavazan M. The effect of direct observation of procedural skills/mini-clinical evaluation exercise on the satisfaction and clinical skills of nursing students in dialysis. J Educ Health Promot. 2021 Feb 27;10:74. doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_618_20. PMID: 34084821; PMCID: PMC8057164.
14. Yousuf Guraya S. Workplace-based assessment; applications and educational impact. Malays J Med Sci. 2015 Nov;22(6):5–10. PMID: 28223879; PMCID: PMC5295751.
15. Uma E. Workplace-based assessment: A valuable tool in undergraduate dental education. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2020 Oct–Dec;10(4):223–5. doi:10.4103/ijabmr.IJABMR_255_20. Epub 2020 Oct 7. PMID: 33376693; PMCID: PMC7758789.
16. Nursing professionalism: Innate, taught, or caught? J Nurses Prof Dev. 2015 Mar–Apr;31(2):114–5. doi:10.1097/NND.0000000000000149. PMID: 25790363.
17. Miller BK, Adams D, Beck L. A behavioral inventory for professionalism in nursing. J Prof Nurs. 1993 Sep–Oct;9(5):290–5. doi:10.1016/8755-7223(93)90055-h. PMID: 8294646.

Professionalism among healthcare workers forms the cornerstone of safe, effective, and ethical healthcare delivery. It places the well-being and interests of the patient or client at the core, aligning with public expectations and ensuring it remains central to all clinical decisions and actions. As a dynamic and evolving concept, professionalism is based on key professional values, including respect for oneself and others, compassion, self-awareness, honesty, integrity, accountability, and a dedication to ongoing improvement and self-regulation. Therefore, it is crucial to foster an environment that supports professionalism and establish a robust training system to promote these values. The review article portrayed the need for a comprehensive and learner centric assessment of nursing students on nursing professionalism. The article points out the theories that are underline the comprehensive assessment of nursing professionalism among nursing students. The classification of the assessment of nursing professionalism, Workplace Based Assessment (WPBA) that can be used as a learner-centered instructional approach is revealed. The advantages and disadvantages of this learner centric method are highlighted, along with remedial measures for the limitations of this recommended method. The investigators ascertained that the WPBA is effective as an assessment for learning nursing professionalism.

Keywords: WPBA, learner-centered instructional approach, nursing professionalism, assessment of nursing professionalism,Professionalism

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Modi JN, Anshu, Gupta P, Singh T. Teaching and assessing professionalism in the Indian context. Indian Pediatr. 2014 Nov;51(11):881–8. doi:10.1007/s13312-014-0521-x. PMID: 25432217.
2. Kassabry M, Al-Kalaldeh M, Ayed A, Abu-Shosha G. The impact of applying unfolding case-study learning on critical care nursing students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and self-efficacy; a quasi-experimental study. Nurse Educ Pract. 2024 Jul;78:104015. doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2024.104015. Epub 2024 Jun 3. PMID: 38852273.
3. Kadeangadi DM. Workplace-based assessment for improving clinical performance: A shift from assessment of learning to assessment for learning in medical education. Indian J Health Sci Biomed Res KLEU. 2022;15(2):Article 2. doi:10.4103/kleuhsj.kleuhsj_412_22. Available from:

       https://kleijhsbr.researchcommons.org/journal/vol15/iss2/2.

4. Prakash J, Chatterjee K, Srivastava K, Chauhan VS, Sharma R. Workplace based assessment: A review of available tools and their relevance. Ind Psychiatry J. 2020 Jul–Dec;29(2):200–4. doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj_225_20. Epub 2021 Mar 15. PMID: 34158702; PMCID: PMC8188940.
5. Zhang WY, Peng Y, Zhuang HR, Yu HP, Liu Q, Gu Y, et al. Application of direct observation of operational skills in nursing skill evaluation of pressure injury: A randomized clinical trial. Int Wound J. 2024 Mar;21(3):e14498. doi:10.1111/iwj.14498. Epub 2023 Dec 4. PMID: 38050456; PMCID: PMC10898409.
6. Ota Y, Aikawa G, Nishimura A, Kawashima T, Imanaka R, Sakuramoto H. Effects of educational methods using extended reality on pre-registration nursing students’ knowledge, skill, confidence, and satisfaction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nurse Educ Today. 2024 Oct;141:106313. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106313. Epub 2024 Jul 17. PMID: 39042984.
7. Jasemi M, Ahangarzadeh Rezaie S, Hemmati Maslakpak M, Parizad N. Are workplace-based assessment methods (DOPS and Mini–CEX) effective in nursing students’ clinical skills? A single-blind randomized, parallel group, controlled trial. Contemp Nurse. 2019 Dec;55(6):565–75. doi:10.1080/10376178.2020.1735941. Epub 2020 Mar 9. PMID: 32107975.
8. World Health Organization. State of the world’s nursing 2020: Investing in education, jobs and leadership. Geneva: WHO; 2020 [cited 2025 Sep 11]. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003279.
9. Prakash J, Chatterjee K, Srivastava K, Chauhan VS, Sharma R. Workplace based assessment: A review of available tools and their relevance. Ind Psychiatry J. 2020 Jul–Dec;29(2):200–4. doi: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_225_20. Epub 2021 Mar 15. PMID: 34158702; PMCID: PMC8188940.
10. Donmez RO, Ozsoy S. Factors influencing development of professional values among nursing students. Pak J Med Sci. 2016 Jul–Aug;32(4):988–93. doi:10.12669/pjms.324.10616. PMID: 27648054; PMCID: PMC5017117.
11. Schuwirth LW, Van der Vleuten CP. Programmatic assessment: From assessment of learning to assessment for learning. Med Teach. 2011;33(6):478–85. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2011.565828. PMID: 21609177.
12. Hengameh H, Afsaneh R, Morteza K, Hosein M, Marjan SM, Abbas E. The effect of applying direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) on nursing students’ clinical skills: A randomized clinical trial. Glob J Health Sci. 2015 Mar 26;7(7 Spec No):17–21. doi:10.5539/gjhs.v7n7p17. PMID: 26153199; PMCID: PMC4803945.
13. Jafarpoor H, Hosseini M, Sohrabi M, Mehmannavazan M. The effect of direct observation of procedural skills/mini-clinical evaluation exercise on the satisfaction and clinical skills of nursing students in dialysis. J Educ Health Promot. 2021 Feb 27;10:74. doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_618_20. PMID: 34084821; PMCID: PMC8057164.
14. Yousuf Guraya S. Workplace-based assessment; applications and educational impact. Malays J Med Sci. 2015 Nov;22(6):5–10. PMID: 28223879; PMCID: PMC5295751.
15. Uma E. Workplace-based assessment: A valuable tool in undergraduate dental education. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2020 Oct–Dec;10(4):223–5. doi:10.4103/ijabmr.IJABMR_255_20. Epub 2020 Oct 7. PMID: 33376693; PMCID: PMC7758789.
16. Nursing professionalism: Innate, taught, or caught? J Nurses Prof Dev. 2015 Mar–Apr;31(2):114–5. doi:10.1097/NND.0000000000000149. PMID: 25790363.
17. Miller BK, Adams D, Beck L. A behavioral inventory for professionalism in nursing. J Prof Nurs. 1993 Sep–Oct;9(5):290–5. doi:10.1016/8755-7223(93)90055-h. PMID: 8294646.