The purpose of this study was to clarify components that constitute novice public health nurses' professional identity acquired through their work experiences. Semi-structured 60-minute interviews were conducted on 7 novice public health nurses with work experience of 2 years for administrative agencies. Qualitative descriptive analysis by an inductive approach identified 6 categories pertaining to their professional identities: [1] awareness of a lack of professional competence, [2] sense of responsibility in pursuing their occupational role, [3] awareness of their worth based on evaluation by others, [4] professional confidence obtained through review of their actions, [5] sense of pride in their profession and their adaptability to the environment, and [6] clear goals for self-improvement based on their experiences. It is important for novice public health nurses to devote themselves positively to the profession with clear aims to improve their skills and attitude for development of professional identity. This can be achieved through reflection on their healthcare activities together with the advice and support from supervisors and/ or senior colleagues, and through their work experiences with local citizens.