# Professional Identity among New Rehabilitation Graduates in China: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Survey

## TL;DR

This study explores how new rehabilitation graduates in China view their professional identity during the final phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies factors that influence it.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the professional identity of rehabilitation graduates in China during the post-pandemic period.

## Key findings

- The average professional identity score was 3.84, below the 'agree' threshold.
- Employment and educational patterns were significant factors influencing professional identity.
- The fitness dimension of professional identity had the lowest average score at 3.64.

## Abstract

The rehabilitation industry suffered in a terrible economic climate caused by
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Healthcare resources and the labor
force were directed towards epidemic prevention of post-pandemic, which
exacerbated the issue. This study evaluated the professional identity (PI)
of new graduates majoring in rehabilitation therapy during the final harsh
phase of COVID-19 and explored the factors influencing PI.

A cross-sectional investigation with a questionnaire was used in this study.
A convenience sample of new graduates who majored in rehabilitation were
recruited from hospitals and universities nationwide. The data collected
demographic information and scores of professional identities for students
in the final phase of the strict COVID-19 control policy in 2022.

This study indicated that the average PI was quite a distance from the degree
of ‘agree’ (3.84 on average), particularly for the fitness
dimension (3.64 on average). The results identified two influencing
variables: employment (Beta= -0.09, P< 0.05) and educational patterns
(Beta= 0.12, P< 0.01).

Higher education in rehabilitation should respond to the present shift in the
structure of the rehabilitation industry post-COVID-19. Meanwhile, the
occupational environment of rehabilitation therapists and the medical value
of rehabilitation therapy deserves more attention. This study provides
evidence for managers to improve organizational justice and adjust policies
on the distribution of medical resources.