Title : Exploring the lived experience of expert clinical nurses during their transition to the novice nursing faculty role in the academic setting
Abstract:
Recruiting and retaining qualified nursing faculty is a persistent issue, contributing to the ongoing nursing faculty shortage. This is leading to the continued shortage and affects the number of students admitted to nursing programs, exacerbating the nursing shortage and potentially impacting the quality of patient care. Expert clinical nurses are often recruited to fill faculty vacancies, expecting their extensive experience to transition seamlessly into the classroom. However, they often lack knowledge of teaching and higher education dynamics. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experience of expert clinical nurses during their transition to the role of novice nursing faculty in the college or university setting. Guided by Transitions Theory, the study explores key components of the transition experience. Participants were from ACEN or CCNE nursing programs in Pennsylvania and included 10 novice nursing faculty with less than three years of teaching experience, but with five or more years of clinical experience. Data were analyzed using content analysis via NVivo 14. Nine themes emerged from the study: prior experience, expectations, still a nurse, bureaucracy, needing more, being resourceful, mentorship, impact and growing confidence. The study provides insights into the transition process and highlights areas where institutions can offer support to facilitate successful transitions, ultimately helping to mitigate the nursing faculty shortage. Implications for nursing practice include taking a closer look at the educational and clinical experience of potential novice nursing faculty, the onboarding and orientation practices of new faculty, and opportunities for professional development to further support new hires and strengthen the nursing faculty workforce.
