Development of a positive professional identity: Liberating oneself from the oppressor within

Although oppressed group behavior has been discussed as important for empow ering nurses, little has been written about the process of liberation from oppression. One of the major factors that keeps the oppressed from becoming empowered is poor self- and group esteem and identity. This article explor es models of positive identity development from other oppressed groups and explores their relevance for nursing. A model is created, based on the othe r models, which proposes a process for nurses as they begin to understand t heir oppression and develop more positive images of themselves and other nu rses.