The transition from clinician to academic in nursing and allied health: a qualitative meta-synthesis

Developing the future academic workforce: A descriptive cross-sectional study of the experiences of early career academics from registered health and social care professions

BACKGROUND

Healthcare academics are generally recruited for their expertise as practitioners, however this may not always convert into expertise in higher education.

OBJECTIVE

Investigate experiences of academics who transitioned from clinical roles by: DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional survey.

PARTICIPANTS

122 survey responses; 103 females, 89.3 % UK participants, 65.6 % nurses. Average years as clinician was 14.49 (SD 8.44), average age at time of transition was 39.99 (SD 8.28), average length of time in academia was 4.36 years (SD 6.51) and most were currently employed as a senior lecturer (36.9 %) or lecturer (28.7 %).

METHODS

An electronic survey using an amended version of the Career Transition Inventory (CTI), the HEXACO personality trait measure, and open questions for elaboration. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed on statistical data and open questions were analysed thematically.

RESULTS

73 % of participants agreed they felt like a novice again and were overwhelmed in their first year of academia. Most felt they received support from their line manager and the transition was the right decision. Higher levels of extraversion were associated with a positive transition, and those open to new experiences were more likely to feel ready and confident in their career transition. The qualitative data identified four themes: the need to do something different, expectations not reflecting reality, levels of support, and it being a transformative experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Reasons for transitioning from clinical to academic roles are multifaceted. There is a lack of prior understanding around the complexities of the role, and expectations rarely reflect reality. Academic roles require extensive support and development, and time to transition into the role effectively.

Beyond the bedside: A scoping review of the experiences of non-practising health care professionals in Health Professions Education

INTRODUCTION

The shortage of educators within Health Professions Education (HPE) threatens the optimal training of the future health care workforce. Furthermore, without recruitment of diverse and skilled faculty, targets to expand the workforce will not be possible. Non-practising health care professionals offer extensive knowledge and qualifications within health care, without the competing clinical commitments of their clinical academic colleagues, and therefore are ideally positioned to support education and training initiatives. However, the limited available evidence suggests that these individuals face significant challenges transitioning from clinical to academic roles. The purpose of this scoping review is to address the research question 'What is known about the career experiences of non-practicing healthcare professionals (defined as individuals with clinical backgrounds who no longer engage in direct patient care) across various professions and internationally, within the field of health professions education?'. To do so, we aim to map the global experiences of non-practising health care professionals from different specialties and disciplines transitioning to HPE, with a view to both current support strategies that aim to recruit and retain these individuals and fuel future research in this area.

METHODS

Following Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review guidelines, a research question was formulated focussing on exploring the career experiences of non-practising health care professionals now working in HPE. Searching seven literature databases and grey literature identified 51 articles for analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were utilised to chart and thematically analyse data to identify key themes.

RESULTS

There has been a rise in publications on this topic, with most studies originating from the United States and focusing on nursing. Transition to academia is marked by significant challenges, including identity shifts, renumeration and professional progression tensions, licencing issues and financial concerns. Support systems are crucial to navigating new roles alongside personal/professional development but often lacking.

DISCUSSION

This scoping review highlights challenges and opportunities for non-practising health care professionals in HPE. Additional support for making the transition to education, including structured onboarding processes and long-term mentoring relationships, would be beneficial. Recognising the liminal space these professionals occupy might also facilitate more effective integration into academic roles, contributing to a more dynamic and inclusive HPE environment. Future research should explore these experiences from broader professional and geographical perspectives and employ an intersectional approach to fully understand and support this growing demographic in our field.

Academic nurses' transition across an academic career: A qualitative study

AIM

The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of nurse academics' experiences with the transition from clinical practice to academia and throughout their whole career trajectory.

DESIGN

Qualitative study design.

METHODS

Three focus group interviews with 17 nurse academics employed at a University in Norway were conducted in May and June 2020. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Nurse academics experienced several diverse career transitions that continued throughout their whole career trajectory, affecting their daily life. Three interconnected themes were identified: 'clinically confident, yet academically uncertain', 'balancing the academic role' and 'lost in academic transition'.

CONCLUSION

This study contributes to a deeper understanding of nurse academics' experiences of transitioning into their academic role and identity. Transition was found not as separate occurrences but was described as several ongoing and concurrent processes throughout their whole career trajectory regardless of seniority level or academic experience. These transitions encompass shifts in identity, new responsibilities and increased tasks, yet often occur without adequate support. As a result, nurse academics may lack the essential skills and knowledge of the academic role.

IMPACT

This study provides insights into nurse academics' transition from clinical practice to academia and throughout their whole career trajectory. This is not a one-time occurrence but a continuous process that takes place throughout their entire career trajectory. This transition is embedded within a complex environment that requires careful consideration and attention. To address challenges regarding career transitions for nurse academics, universities should provide more training and preparation opportunities for all nurse academics when facing different career transitions.

REPORTING METHOD

Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

An Exploration of the Transition of Clinical Nurses to an Academic Nurse Lecturer Role

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study was conducted with eight professional nurses who transitioned from clinical practice to full-time lecturing in higher education. The study aimed to establish how nurse lecturers experience this major transition. Qualitative questionnaires were analyzed thematically. Four themes that collectively encapsulate the transitioning journey emerged: embarking on a career change, the transitioning period, supporting each other, and communication. Interwoven within the data was evidence that an informal community of practice developed and was the primary means of initial support and ongoing guidance, positively influencing the lecturers' engagement and progression in their new career.

The Need for Occupational Therapy Evidence-Based Education

Knowledge of evidence-based-education principles is essential for occupational therapy academics and fieldwork supervisors to ensure the teaching and learning methods and strategies being used are informed, targeted, cost effective, contemporary, and worthwhile. This paper defines evidence-based-education is and how it can be applied in the context of occupational therapy student academic and fieldwork education. The factors that impact occupational therapy evidence-based education in the university sector are introduced which have the potential to ensure that students obtain a quality, meaningful, value-for-money, and high impact education in both academic and fieldwork environments. It is recommended that university faculty and fieldwork supervisors use, create, support, and disseminate evidence-based-education related findings with continued debate and investigation are recommended.

Strategies for transitioning from a clinical position to a faculty role

The nation faces a continued shortage of nurses that is projected to worsen in the next decade. The nursing shortage is fueled by a lack of faculty to educate nurses for entry into practice and advanced nursing practice positions. Many faculty enter academia after achieving expertise in a specialty area of clinical practice. These expert clinicians transition to novice faculty, a move that can be challenging and overwhelming. New faculty require guidance in understanding the various academic regulatory organizations; university structure, policies, and regulations; faculty responsibilities related to the university missions of teaching, service, practice, and scholarship; and face challenges with the need for new skills such as classroom management, curriculum development, and an understanding of the different culture and language of academia. The authors provide evidence from the literature and strategies and tips based on their experience for an expert clinician's successful transition from a clinical role to an academic position.

What do we know about midwives' transition from clinical practice to higher education teaching roles? A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review was to examine the literature to identify what is known about midwives' experiences as academics and their perspectives of transition from clinical practice to university.

INTRODUCTION

Literature on health care practitioners, particularly nurses' transition from clinical experts to novice teachers suggests the transition to academia is challenging.Challenges reported by research studies have identified stress, uncertainty, and lack of a supportive and structured transition. There was a dearth of primary research evidence of midwives' perspectives.

METHODS

A scoping review using the Johanna Briggs Institute three step approach was employed. First, an initial limited search of Google Scholar and CINAHL was undertaken to identify articles on the topic. Second, the text words contained in the titles and abstracts of relevant articles and the index terms used to describe the articles were used to develop a complete search strategy in databases: EMBASE, MIDIRS, Scopus and PubMed. Finally, a manual search of the reference lists of all included sources of evidence was manually searched for additional studies.

RESULTS

Ten papers that included midwives as the participants were located from Australia, The United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) between 2006 and 2022. Analysis of the findings led to three themes: Theme 1: Challenges associated with the transition; Theme 2: Dichotomy of identity; and Theme 3: Fear of losing clinical credibility.

CONCLUSION

In most studies midwives formed a subset of the sample meaning that the voices of midwifery academics are minimised by the experiences of other health practitioners. However, in depth details were located from four personal reflections which identified that transition from clinical practice to academia can result in a duality of roles while individuals come to terms with their new reality and overcome their fear of losing credibility as clinicians. New academics from health tend to hold onto their identity as clinicians rather than adopting their new persona as academics. Fear of losing credibility stems from the need to maintain competence for continued professional registration as clinicians. Further research is needed which focuses on midwives as the target sample to validate the research evidence from this scoping review.

Identities and roles through clinician-educator transitions: A systematic narrative review

OBJECTIVE

To synthesise the literature exploring nurse and other clinicians' conceptualisations and experiences of roles and identities as they transition to educator positions and to identify facilitators/barriers to, and consequences of, successful transitions.

DESIGN

A systematic narrative review of empirical research reporting clinician-educator transitions was conducted from database inception to December 2020.

DATA SOURCES

Our search employed ERIC, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE® Plus, ERIC (ProQuest), and Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest). We used search terms and synonyms relating to 'identity', 'role' and 'transitions'.

REVIEW METHODS

Using the PRISMA protocol for systematic reviews, we reviewed titles and abstracts for inclusion, then used the Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool to evaluate article quality. We extracted evidence from included articles, synthesising data thematically by exploring similarities and differences between studies.

RESULTS

We screened 2753 articles. 23 studies (across 25 articles) matched our inclusion criteria, 20 of which included nursing clinician-educator transitions. We identified four themes describing clinician-educator transitions: (i) multiple ways of conceptualising roles and identities, (ii) clinician-educator transitions as complex, emotion-laden processes, (iii) personal, interpersonal, and organisational facilitators and barriers of clinician-educator transitions, and (iv) positive and negative consequences of clinician-educator transitions.

CONCLUSION

Our review supports deeper understandings of transition processes that can be used by organisations to better support clinicians as they adapt to their new educator roles and identities.

'Becoming and overcoming': A qualitative meta-synthesis of the experiences of men in nursing academia

BACKGROUND

The experiences of men in nursing academia remain poorly understood globally as they remain a minority within the underrepresented male nursing populace.

PURPOSE

To develop a comparative understanding of the experiences of male nurse educators.

METHOD

We conducted a systematic review and meta-synthesis. Studies were considered eligible if they employed qualitative methodologies, contained verbatim quotes, published in a peer-reviewed journal and full-text available in English. An interpretive stance inspired by Ricoeur's hermeneutic approach was employed to undertake data analysis.

RESULTS

Five studies were retained in the study. Three themes and ten subthemes emerged. Becoming describes why male nurses enter and stay in academia. Although several factors may push them, they often experienced isolation requiring them to overcome leading to professional growth.

CONCLUSION

The space of becoming and overcoming can be a lonely and isolated journey, often with no role models to support the process. Mentorship and peer support programmes are required as male nurses' transition and remain in nursing academia.

The Evolution of Clinician-Academics in Paramedicine: Completing the Picture of Professionalism

Paramedicine is an evolving and integral component of the health system, though the profession has historically relied on medicine and nursing to drive a research agenda. Now, with a well-established research presence, still lacking is the formalized role of the clinician-academic. In this opinion piece, the authors detail how paramedic clinician-academics can drive the profession forward, contribute to enhanced patient care, systems design, and staff well-being.

Identity, positionality and reflexivity: relevance and application to research paramedics

This article introduces the reader to the concepts of identity, positionality and reflexivity and outlines their relevance to research paramedics. We outline how a researcher's identity and positionality can influence all aspects of research, including the research question, study design, data collection and data analysis. We discuss that the 'insider' position of paramedics conducting research with other paramedics or within their specific clinical setting has considerable benefits to participant access, understanding of data and dissemination, while highlighting the difficulties of role duality and power dynamics. While positionality is concerned with the researcher clearly stating their assumptions relating to the research topic, the research design, context and process, as well as the research participants; reflexivity involves the researcher questioning their assumptions and finding strategies to address these. The researcher must reflect upon the way the research is carried out and explain to the reader how they moved through the research processes to reach certain conclusions, with the aim of producing a trustworthy and honest account of the research. Throughout this article, we provide examples of how these concepts have been considered and applied by a research paramedic while conducting their PhD research studies within a pre-hospital setting, to illustrate how they can be applied practically.

Strategies Adopted by Novice Nurse Educators to Facilitate Their Transition From Practice to Academia: A Qualitative Study in Ghana

Introduction

The successful transition of nurses from clinical practice to academia is essential to the training of a proficient future nursing workforce. However, deprived of requisite support and guidance, novice nurse educators often find the transition from bedside nursing practice to the classroom challenging and hence, adopt some coping strategies to facilitate their transition. Yet, little is known about the strategies adopted by Ghanaian novice nurse educators to facilitate their transition.

Objective

This study explored the strategies adopted by novice nurse educators to facilitate their transition from practice to academia in three nursing training colleges in Ghana.

Methods

This study adopted a descriptive qualitative study design. The study used a purposive sampling technique to recruit 12 novice nurse educators. Data were generated through individual in-depth interviews using a semistructured interview guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed manually through thematic analysis.

Results

Novice nurse educators adopted a wide range of strategies to facilitate their transition from practice to academia. Four major themes emerged: (1) seeking support from peers, (2) attending workshops and conferences, (3) relying on performance appraisal and feedback, and (4) applying past clinical nursing knowledge.

Conclusion

The strategies adopted to facilitate the transition were mostly self-inspired and informal, which calls for more formal and evidence-based strategies to facilitate the transition process. College authorities must create, or adopt and modify faculty mentorship models to mentor novice nurse educators, develop and implement college-specific orientation programmes for novice nurse educators, and implement regular online tutor appraisals by students.

The relationship among educational skills, general self-efficacy perceptions and performance in nursing instructors

BACKGROUND

In a study conducted by the World Health Organization in 2016, the core competencies of nurse educators were revealed to increase the quality of nursing education and ensure accountability. It is considered that nursing instructors' perceptions of self-efficacy and performance are effective in their educational skills.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the correlation between nursing instructors' educational skills, their perception of general self-efficacy and performance evaluation levels.

METHODS

This study was conducted with a correlational design. The population of the study included 2183 nursing instructors who were working in the department of nursing of universities in Turkey, and the sample included 548 nursing instructors. Data were collected using an information form, the Educational Skills Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Instructors' Performance Evaluation Scales Instructor Form. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analyses, structural equation modeling, t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis and chisquared test.

RESULTS

Of the nursing instructors, 52.7% stated to have received training for academic formation skills, and 89.0% stated that this training should be mandatory. It was determined that there was a predictive relationship and a good fit between the nursing instructors' educational skills, general self-efficacy perceptions and performance. It was determined that the participants' perceptions of general self-efficacy and performance increased as their frequency of using educational skills increased, and their performance increased as their perceptions of general self-efficacy increased. It was found that the educational skills, general self-efficacy perceptions and performance of the male instructors were higher than those of the female instructors, and the participants' educational skills, general self-efficacy perceptions and performance levels increased as their age, occupational experience and academic experience increased.

CONCLUSION

It is recommended to determine the education needs of instructors regarding their educational skills, self-efficacy perceptions and performance levels, provide education based on their needs and evaluate the effectiveness of such educational activities.

Assimilation of Expert Clinician Into the Academy: A Competency-Based Faculty Development Plan

BACKGROUND

As expert clinicians are recruited to academic positions in response to nursing faculty shortages, comprehensive plans are needed for transitioning and role development.

PROBLEM

Schools of nursing often lack infrastructures to support and develop new faculty.

APPROACH

Team members from an academic-clinical partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs created a competency-based faculty development plan.

OUTCOMES

A comprehensive self-directed faculty development plan was established that included a needs assessment, competency-based guide, and online modular resources.

CONCLUSION

The faculty development plan provides a tailored approach to support the transition of clinicians to the academic role. This strategy is a potential solution to addressing the faculty shortage, retention, and role strain issues and builds capacity in schools of nursing. This innovative plan is a first step in establishing a mechanism to measure faculty competencies and professional growth.

Making their way as academics: A qualitative study examining how nurse academics understand and (re)construct academic identity

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to explore the way in which nurse academics understand and (re)construct their academic identity.

DESIGN

An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted.

METHODS

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 nurse academics who were employed in positions requiring both research and teaching in two New Zealand university nursing schools. Participants' demographic information and critical career incidents were also collected. Interview data were analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Nurse academics understand their academic identity as research-related, relational and dynamic. Although their academic identity can be in conflict with their clinical one, the former is (re)constructed as an extension of the latter. To navigate each university's multiple expectations of academics, nurse academics in this study strive to maintain their engagement with teaching, research and clinical practice, although in some cases, clinical practice is reconceptualised in relation to teaching and researching rather than direct contact with patients.

CONCLUSION

Academic identity development is fluid and interdependent on that of clinical identity in this young and vocationally-based discipline. There is an interrelated, dual process of identity (re)construction - while (re)constructing academic identity, nurse academics also reshape and redefine their clinical identity. The trajectory of their identity development challenges institutions to consider the needs of nurse academics (and others in similar disciplines) by recognising and supporting the maintenance of a form of clinical currency in order to strengthen the discipline within the academy.

The defining characteristics of newly graduated nurses - A Delphi study

Despite processes designed to ensure that graduates of accredited nursing programs possess the necessary skills and knowledge to enter the workforce, a gap remains between graduate capabilities and industry expectations of work-readiness. This study aims to identify the defining characteristics of work-ready graduate nurses from the perspective of a purposive sample of new graduates, employers and academics utilising a three-round Delphi design and to compare the findings. In Round One participants provided free-text descriptors of graduate attributes, core knowledge and skills. In Rounds Two and Three participants prioritised categorised results from Round One and added free-text responses. Data from these rounds were not aggregated. In Round One, 14 academics, 20 clinicians and 12 graduates provided responses. In Round Two we received 10, 12 and 5 responses respectively and in Round Three 9, 8 and 4 responses respectively. The final round identified 19 characteristics and attributes, 10 knowledge areas and 11 skills for work-ready graduate nurses. This study identified that graduates should be safe practitioners, with professional behaviours, an understanding of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology of disease, and medication safety, with good patient assessment and communication skills. Time management and prioritisation skills that graduates expect of themselves, develop with consolidation of practice.

Capitalising on the transformational opportunities of early clinical academic career training for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals

BACKGROUND

A highly skilled workforce is required to deliver high quality evidence-based care. Clinical academic career training programmes have been developed to build capacity and capabilities of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (NMAHPs) but it remains unclear how these skills and roles are operationalised in the healthcare context. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of early career clinical academic NMAHPs who have undertaken, or are undertaking, clinical academic master's and doctoral studies in the United Kingdom.

METHODS

We conducted 17 in-depth semi-structured interviews with early career clinical academics which included; nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Two themes emerged from the data; identity transformation and operationalising transformation. Both these highlighted the challenges and opportunities that early clinical academic training provided to the individual and organisation in which they practiced. This required the reconceptualization of this training from the pure acquisition of skills to one of personal and professional transformation. The findings suggest that individuals, funders, and organisations may need to relinquish the notion that training is purely or largely a transactional exchange in order to establish collaborative initiatives.

CONCLUSION

Stakeholders need to recognise that a cultural shift about the purposes of research training from a transactional to transformative approaches is required to facilitate the development of NMAHPS clinical academics, to enable them to contribute to innovative health and patient care.

Doctors' identity transitions: Choosing to occupy a state of 'betwixt and between'

CONTEXT

During transitions, doctors engage in identity work to adapt to changes in multiple domains. Accompanied by this are dynamic 'liminal' phases. Definitions of liminality denote a state of being 'betwixt and between' identities. From a social constructionist perspective, being betwixt and between professional identities may either involve a sense of disrupted self, requiring identity work to move through and out of being betwixt and between (ie, temporary liminality), or refer to the experiences of temporary workers (eg, locum doctors) or those in dual roles (eg, clinician-managers) who find themselves perpetually betwixt and between professional identities (ie, perpetual liminality) and use identity work to make themselves contextually relevant. In the health care literature, liminality is conceptualised as a linear process, but this does not align with current notions of transitions that are depicted as multiple, complex and non-linear.

METHODS

We undertook a longitudinal narrative inquiry study using audio-diaries to explore how doctors experience liminality during trainee-to-trained transitions. In three phases, we: (a) interviewed 20 doctors about his or her trainee-to-trained transitions; (b) collected longitudinal audio-diaries from 17 doctors for 6-9 months, and (c) undertook exit interviews with these 17 doctors. Data were analysed thematically, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, using identity work theory as an analytical lens.

RESULTS

All participants experienced liminality. Our analysis enabled us to identify temporary and perpetual liminal experiences. Furthermore, fine-grained analysis of participants' identity talk enabled us to identify points in participants' journeys at which he or she rejected identity grants associated with his or her trained status and instead preferred to remain in and thus occupy liminality (ie, neither trainee nor trained doctor).

CONCLUSIONS

This paper is the first to explore longitudinally doctors' liminal experiences through trainee-to-trained transitions. Our findings also make conceptual contributions to the health care literature, as well as the wider interdisciplinary liminality literature, by adding further layers to conceptualisations and introducing the notion of occupying liminality.

'We have different needs': Specifying support for classroom and clinical sessional educators

CONTEXT

Both classroom and clinical sessional educators are often overlooked in faculty development, even though they play an important role in student learning. Our aim was to contrast classroom and clinical sessional educators´ experiences of and perceived needs for connectedness, appreciation and support, in relation to their teaching quality. We then utilised these results to make suggestions for supporting these educators.

METHODS

The participants (11 physical therapy sessional educators: four clinical; seven clinical, and classroom) took part in three focus groups. We based the interview guide questions on previous survey results, used a critical theory research paradigm and performed thematic analysis.

RESULTS

We identified four emerging differences between physical therapy sessional educators with experience in the classroom and clinic. Classroom sessional educators needed: (a) more connectedness; (b) more appreciation; (c) more access to the learning management system, and (d) both different and similar faculty development when compared to clinical sessional educators. Differences were greater in classroom sessional educators who taught more hours. We also saw similarities in the need for feedback on teaching, orientations and communication, a better salary and clinical workplace support their role of an educator. Suggestions for context-dependent support for sessional educators were designed to address these similarities and differences.

CONCLUSIONS

Talking to various types of sessional educators about their teaching needs is the first step in providing effective faculty development. Varying needs for connectedness, appreciation, pedagogy and access to the learning management system amongst physical therapy sessional educators highlighted the need for an investment in classroom educators who teach multiple hours and want to grow as health science educators. Differences between classroom and clinical sessional educators brought to the forefront the importance of individualised, contextual faculty development and administrative or departmental action that supports sessional educators. The resulting context-dependent suggestions for improvement of support of sessional educators have the potential to improve the quality of health science teaching overall.

An international study of trainee-trained transitions: Introducing the transition-to-trained-doctor (T3D) model

Background: Throughout their careers, doctors and other healthcare professionals experience numerous transitions. When supporting transitions, opportunities for development and learning should be maximized, while stressors having negative impacts on well-being should be minimized. Building on our international data, this study aimed to develop a conceptual model of the trainee-trained transition (i.e. the significant transitions experienced by doctors as they complete postgraduate training moving from trainee/resident status to medical specialist roles).Methods: Employing Multiple and Multidimensional Transitions (MMT) theory and current conceptualizations of clinical context, this study undertook secondary analysis of 55 interviews with doctors from three countries (Netherlands, Cananda and the UK) undergoing trainee-trained transitions.Results: Through this analysis, the Transition-To-Trained-Doctor (T3D) conceptual model has been developed. This model takes into consideration the multiple contexts and multiple domains in which transitions take place.Discussion: This model is significant in that it has several uses and is applicable across countries: to remind doctors, managers and medical educators of the complexity of transitions; to frame and facilitate supportive conversations; and as a basis to teach about transitions.

Transitioning from clinician to nurse practitioner clinical faculty: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Schools of nursing are challenged with recruiting and retaining nurse practitioner (NP) clinical faculty in a job market where the few qualified candidates have competing professional opportunities. The role transition from clinician to clinical faculty is stressful, and many faculty have unmet needs for support.

OBJECTIVES

This article will identify strategies universities can implement to increase retention in the faculty role by facilitating the transition from clinician to NP clinical faculty.

DATA SOURCES

Articles were identified from the following databases: PubMed, Embase, PsychInfo, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library.

CONCLUSIONS

The transition from clinician to the NP role can be very difficult. New faculty experience culture shock and concerns about maintenance of clinical practice. Orientation, peer support, and mentoring can mitigate the challenges and support the transition.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Schools of nursing can facilitate the transition from clinician to NP clinical faculty by developing an onboarding program that integrates mentoring, orientation, and ongoing support.

Factors predicting identity as educators and openness to improve: an exploratory study

CONTEXT

Researchers suggest that teachers' work environment affects their sense of connectedness and appreciation, which affects their educator identity. However, sessional (also known as adjunct, clinical, contingent and non-tenured) faculty members may struggle with their educator identity. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the extent to which perceived connectedness and received appreciation predicted identity as a medical (health care science) educator and openness to improve in tenure-track and sessional faculty members.

METHODS

We utilised an 'identification with teaching' scale to measure medical educator identity. We developed scales to measure perceived connectedness to university department, openness to improve teaching, and appreciation as a motivation to try a new teaching method. We then hypothesised a path model between these constructs. We surveyed faculty members at a health sciences school and performed confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modelling using data from a sample of 73 tenure-track and 146 sessional faculty members to explore support for the hypothesised model.

RESULTS

Connectedness and appreciation predicted identity as a medical educator and openness to improve in different ways for sessional and tenure-track faculty members. For tenure-track faculty members, appreciation predicted medical educator identity and openness to improve, whereas a sense of connectedness trended towards predicting an openness to improve. For sessional faculty members, connectedness to their department predicted their identity as a medical educator, which acted as a mediator to predict an openness to improve.

DISCUSSION

Our data supported the hypothesised model, but the sessional and tenure-track faculty models differed in strength and focus. We explore reasons for these differences based on the working environment of each teacher type. We suggest that the two models partially explain the transformation from 'a clinician who teaches' to a medical educator. Finally, we make suggestions for how identity as a medical educator and openness to improve may be encouraged in both types of teachers.

The impact of Nursing and Midwifery Council revalidation on the professional identity of academic staff in a higher education institution: A qualitative study

AIMS

To explore Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) revalidation as a process experienced by nursing and midwifery academics and its impact on their sense of professional identity.

BACKGROUND

The introduction of revalidation nurses and midwives in the UK in 2016 caused some anxiety amongst registrants in higher education.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using a purposeful sample involving thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with academic staff.

METHODS

Ten registrants completed a semi-structured interview in a higher education institution.

RESULTS/FINDINGS

Clinical credibility: participants were self-conscious about time away from practice but retained strong links with clinical settings reviewing evidence and reports of current practice. The revalidation process: staff were generally positive about NMC revalidation. Professional identity: participants identified as nurses and midwives first and academics second.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings replicate previous studies about professional identity among healthcare professionals in higher education; this study reports the contribution of revalidation amongst nurses and midwives in higher education institutions.

Paramedic academics in Australia and New Zealand: The 'no man's land' of professional identity

Those transitioning from practice to academia can struggle with the perception that they might lose their hard-won and deeply-held professional identity, while grappling with the difficulty of creating an academic identity. This is a common experience for those entering universities with strong clinical identities. Paramedics, as members of an emerging health profession, share these challenges with nursing and allied health professionals. In this study of paramedic academics in Australia and New Zealand, a majority did not consider themselves to still be paramedics on the basis that they were no longer clinically active. Nor did they consider themselves to be academics as most lacked doctoral qualifications and associated scholarly achievements that made them feel worthy of a place in the 'academy'. This lack of a professional identity as either a paramedic or an academic places them in a 'no man's land' of professional identity. Many are unable to effectively fuse their paramedic and academic identities to become comfortable as 'paramedic academics'. For this to change, there needs to be a partnership between the paramedicine discipline and universities to ensure that paramedics entering academia have a recognised and valued career pathway and are better prepared to make the transition to academia.

Percepção de estudantes de doutorado em enfermagem sobre planejamento de carreira e prioridades de pesquisa

Resumo Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever os pontos de vista de estudantes de doutorado em enfermagem antes do início e durante o doutorado sobre mudanças no planejamento da carreira e prioridades de pesquisa. Métodos: O estudo foi de natureza qualitativa, tendo sido realizado com 16 entrevistas no Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Enfermagem. Foram realizadas entrevistas individuais com 16 estudantes de doutorado matriculados em diferentes especialidades acadêmicas. Após as entrevistas, as gravações de áudio foram primeiramente transcritas e depois categorizadas. Os dados foram submetidos a análise de conteúdo. Resultados: Após análise de conteúdo, três temas principais (“mudanças no planejamento da carreira”, “prioridades de pesquisa” e “desenvolvimento”) e seis categorias foram formuladas a partir dos dados obtidos. Os participantes afirmaram ter consciência de ter feito várias mudanças nos planos de carreira ao iniciar seu projeto de doutorado, e o trabalho no projeto mudou o desenvolvimento profissional e melhorou as habilidades acadêmicas. Conclusão: Nossos resultados indicam que os estudantes de doutorado devem ser apoiados para serem eficazes na carreira, e a formação no período pós-doutoral também deve ser apoiada. Políticas efetivas em relação ao aperfeiçoamento de enfermeiros doutorandos também devem ser desenvolvidas e implementadas com base em evidências sólidas da utilidade desses suportes.

The Transition from Military Nurse to Nurse Faculty: A Descriptive Study

Aim The aim of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe the transition from military nurse to nurse faculty. Background There is a global shortage of qualified nurse faculty. Recruitment of retiring or separating military nurses is a viable solution. Methods Content and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews of former military nurses (N=13) was undertaken. Results The transition from military nurse to nurse faculty includes acknowledgment of the reality of academic culture, appreciation of the journey to bridge the gap, and culmination of a new identity. Leadership skills acquired during military service proved instrumental to a successful transition. Conclusions Recognizing this transition and the strengths these nurses offer provides evidence for focused orientation programs to increase recruitment and retention of these faculty.

Supporting scholarly identity and practice: Narratives of occupational therapy academics

Introduction

Internationally, an increasing number of occupational therapists are making the transition from clinical practice to academia. Many make this transition with strong practitioner identities, limited academic skills, and inadequate preparation for a competitive academic environment. A group of 13 Australian occupational therapy academics participated in blogs as part of a 12-month action research project, with the aim of being and becoming more scholarly academics.

Method

Throughout an action research project titled Growing Scholarship, co-participants/researchers participated in a closed blog for sharing experiences of being and becoming more scholarly academics. In the present study, qualitative data from the blogs were analysed through an iterative and inductive process and themes generated by the research team.

Findings

Constructing and reconstructing identity emerged as a key theme during analysis of the blogs, with the sub-themes striving to reach one’s potential and growing through collaboration and support emphasising the significance of individual and macro factors in shaping academic identity formation.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated how the occupation of blogging can be used to support the scholarly identity and practice of occupational therapy academics. Other professionals facing change and uncertainty in the workplace could consider a similar approach to support the process of identity reconstruction.

Acknowleding attributes that enable the career academic nurse to thrive in the tertiary education sector: A qualitative systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To optimise the career development in early career academic nurses by providing an overview of the attributes necessary for success.

BACKGROUND

Evidence of early prospective career planning is necessary to optimise success in the tertiary sector. This is particularly important for nurse academics given the profession's later entry into academia, the ageing nursing workforce and the continuing global shortage of nurses.

DESIGN

A qualitative systematic review.

METHODS

Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Medline, ERIC, Professional Development Collection and Google Scholar databases were searched; resulting in the inclusion of nine qualitative nurse-only focussed studies published between 2004 and 2014. The studies were critically appraised and the data thematically analysed.

RESULTS

Three abilities were identified as important to the early career academic nurse: a willingness to adapt to change, an intention to pursue support and embodying resilience. These abilities give rise to attributes that are recommended as key to successful academic career development for those employed on a continuing academic basis.

CONCLUSIONS

The capacity to rely on one's own capabilities is becoming seen as increasingly important. It is proposed that recognition of these attributes, their skilful application and monitoring outlined in the review are recommended for a successful career in academia.

Contribution of university departments of rural health to rural health research: An analysis of outputs

OBJECTIVE

To assess the research contribution of eleven University Departments of Rural Health (UDRH) which were established as a rural health workforce program in the late 1990s through analysis of peer-reviewed journal output.

DESIGN AND SETTINGS

Descriptive study based on validated publications from publication output reported in annual key performance indicator (KPI) reports to the Commonwealth Department of Health, Australia.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

In addition to counts and the type of publications, articles were examined to assess fields of research, evidence of research collaboration, and potential for influencing policy. Funding acknowledgement was examined to provide insight into funding sources and research consultancies.

RESULTS

Of the 182 peer-reviewed articles, UDRH staff members were the first and corresponding author for 45% (n = 82); most (69%, n = 126) were original research. Most publications examined included Australian data only (80%, n = 101). Over half (56%; n = 102) of the articles addressed rural health issues; Aboriginal health was the main subject in 14% (n = 26). Thirty-three articles (18%) discussed the policy implications of the research and only half (51%, n = 93) of the articles listed sources of funding. Number of authors per article ranged from 1-19, with a mean of 5 (SD = 3.2) authors per article, two-thirds of articles included authors from 2-5 universities/organisations but only 5% of articles included an author from more than one UDRH.

CONCLUSIONS

Staff from UDRHs are regularly publishing peer-reviewed articles, and research productivity demonstrated cooperation with external partners. Better collaboration between UDRH staff and others may help increase the quality and value of Australian rural health research.