CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY OF THE UNIVERSITY STUDENT

Abstract

The qualitative research aimed to describe and analyze the process of construction of professional identity in the nursing student. The theoretical approach is based on Castells, Kerouac and Colliere, the approach was descriptive and exploratory. The subjects participating in the research were seven students reached by saturation, through the in-depth interview. In the findings, the three theoretical categories proposed by Castells were discussed: Legitimating Identity, Resistance Identity and Project Identity. The symbolic content of the discipline, including values, knowledge, representations and history, is positioned for students to construct their professional identity. They also manage their relationships and assume positions with their environment through a process of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction.