Designing Categories for a Mixed-Method Research on Competence Development and Professional Identity through Collegial Advice in Nursing Education in Germany.

Background: The aim of nursing education in Germany is the development of different competences, including professional identity. To promote this, the use of collegial consultation in the form of collegial advice is recommended. How collegial advice affects the development of competences and professional identity, and which didactic and organizational framework conditions are favorable for this have not yet been conclusively clarified.

Objectives: The aim of the study is to determine how collegial consultation affects the development of competence and professional identity of student nurses. Enabling and hindering factors for the success of collegial advice will be identified. Design/ Participants: A mixed-methods study with 25 student nurses who completed training in collegial advice and then regularly engaged in collegial advice for one year.

Methods: A content analysis from four focus group interviews using a category system developed for this purpose.

Results: This article reports the development of the category system necessary for the content analysis with examples. The resulting categories are presented.

Conclusions: The category system has high objectivity, reliability, and validity. It contains links to competence and identity research in the care sector. A suitable instrument has been developed for further evaluation of the focus group interviews.