Other Titles
Understanding What Influences Nursing Students [Session]
Abstract
Session presented on Saturday, April 9, 2016: Background: Many studies examine the role of preceptors with students in pre-licensure clinical immersion experiences and how that impacts student socialization to the role of the nurse and the transition from academe to the practice world (Carlson, Pilhammar, & Wann-Hansson, 2010; Dinmohammadi, Peyrovi, & Mehrdad, 2013). However, students still struggle with this transition to practice and the unique nursing culture (Clipper & Cherry, 2015; Dinmohammadi, Peyrovi, & Mehrdad, 2013). Research literature supports that nursing has a distinct professional culture yet research on the beliefs of preceptors foundational to their interactions with students is lacking (Hegenbarth, Rawe, Murray, Arnaert, & Chambers-Evans 2015). The majority of research studies on the culture of nursing have been conducted outside of the United States, thus limiting its application in the United States unique health care and educational systems. Viewing socialization as enculturation to the professional culture and exploring perceptions of nursing culture in the United States is one way of examining this struggle and possible solutions. Aim: The purpose of this study is to gain knowledge and make more explicit the tacit dimensions of preceptors' perceptions of the culture of nursing and their role in bringing students into that professional culture. 'Making preceptors' perceptions of the professional culture of nursing more explicit facilitates discussion on a more deliberate enculturation process by both preceptors and nursing faculty. This knowledge will benefit nursing faculty and preceptors to better assist students as they prepare to transition from academia to practice. A smoother transition from academia to practice can help decrease the practice-education gap. It will also help decrease the culture shock experienced by new nursing graduates which contributes to high turnover and attrition rates that negatively impact both the new graduates and health care organizations (Clipper & Cherry, 2015). Methods: The research design for this study is focused ethnography. Seventeen BSN prepared registered nurses from five hospitals who have served as a preceptor for a pre-licensure nursing student participated in a semi-structured interview examining the preceptors' perceptions about the culture of nursing and their role in bringing students into that culture. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. These transcripts served as the data for this study, and were analyzed using Leininger's four phases of data analysis. Results: Four themes emerged during data analysis. These themes are 1. Nursing students are part of the unique, dynamic and professional culture of nursing. 2. There are multifaceted influences to the culture of nursing. 3. Preceptors help nursing students learn the manifest culture as opposed to the ideal aspects of the culture taught in school. 4. Nursing students and preceptors mutually benefit from preceptor mentorship and role modeling. Conclusions: This study confirms the valuable role of the preceptor in guiding pre-licensure nursing students in the transition to practice and the culture of nursing. Preceptors agree that there is a unique nursing culture. However the culture is difficult to define and is influenced by many different facets. Preceptors follow a process to help students learn the culture of nursing but the processes vary. They help the students learn the 'real world' of nursing, which is often in opposition to what the students learn in school from nursing faculty. Preceptors serve as both role models and mentors to student nurses, and benefit from working with students. To help decrease the practice-academia gap, nursing faculty and preceptors need to work together to decrease the stress and anxiety experienced by students as they transition between the two subcultures of academe and practice. This includes developing a shared definition of the culture of nursing, and helping students learn how to navigate and understand the differences between subcultures within the common culture of nursing. Strategies such as nurse residency programs and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Transition to Practice Model can also assist with the enculturation process (Robert Wood Johnson, 2014). This study adds another layer of understanding in how students learn the culture of nursing. Future grounded theory work on this topic will provide a foundation for the processes involved in both practice and academia as students learn the culture of nursing.
Sigma Membership
Kappa Epsilon at-Large
Lead Author Affiliation
Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Preceptors, Socialization, Nursing Students
Recommended Citation
Strouse, Susan M. and Haan, Emily M., "We don't miter the sheets on the bed: Understanding the preceptor role in nursing enculturation" (2016). NERC (Nursing Education Research Conference). 32.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/nerc/2016/presentations_2016/32
Conference Name
Nursing Education Research Conference 2016
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International,National League for Nursing
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2016
Rights Holder
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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
We don't miter the sheets on the bed: Understanding the preceptor role in nursing enculturation
Washington, DC, USA
Session presented on Saturday, April 9, 2016: Background: Many studies examine the role of preceptors with students in pre-licensure clinical immersion experiences and how that impacts student socialization to the role of the nurse and the transition from academe to the practice world (Carlson, Pilhammar, & Wann-Hansson, 2010; Dinmohammadi, Peyrovi, & Mehrdad, 2013). However, students still struggle with this transition to practice and the unique nursing culture (Clipper & Cherry, 2015; Dinmohammadi, Peyrovi, & Mehrdad, 2013). Research literature supports that nursing has a distinct professional culture yet research on the beliefs of preceptors foundational to their interactions with students is lacking (Hegenbarth, Rawe, Murray, Arnaert, & Chambers-Evans 2015). The majority of research studies on the culture of nursing have been conducted outside of the United States, thus limiting its application in the United States unique health care and educational systems. Viewing socialization as enculturation to the professional culture and exploring perceptions of nursing culture in the United States is one way of examining this struggle and possible solutions. Aim: The purpose of this study is to gain knowledge and make more explicit the tacit dimensions of preceptors' perceptions of the culture of nursing and their role in bringing students into that professional culture. 'Making preceptors' perceptions of the professional culture of nursing more explicit facilitates discussion on a more deliberate enculturation process by both preceptors and nursing faculty. This knowledge will benefit nursing faculty and preceptors to better assist students as they prepare to transition from academia to practice. A smoother transition from academia to practice can help decrease the practice-education gap. It will also help decrease the culture shock experienced by new nursing graduates which contributes to high turnover and attrition rates that negatively impact both the new graduates and health care organizations (Clipper & Cherry, 2015). Methods: The research design for this study is focused ethnography. Seventeen BSN prepared registered nurses from five hospitals who have served as a preceptor for a pre-licensure nursing student participated in a semi-structured interview examining the preceptors' perceptions about the culture of nursing and their role in bringing students into that culture. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. These transcripts served as the data for this study, and were analyzed using Leininger's four phases of data analysis. Results: Four themes emerged during data analysis. These themes are 1. Nursing students are part of the unique, dynamic and professional culture of nursing. 2. There are multifaceted influences to the culture of nursing. 3. Preceptors help nursing students learn the manifest culture as opposed to the ideal aspects of the culture taught in school. 4. Nursing students and preceptors mutually benefit from preceptor mentorship and role modeling. Conclusions: This study confirms the valuable role of the preceptor in guiding pre-licensure nursing students in the transition to practice and the culture of nursing. Preceptors agree that there is a unique nursing culture. However the culture is difficult to define and is influenced by many different facets. Preceptors follow a process to help students learn the culture of nursing but the processes vary. They help the students learn the 'real world' of nursing, which is often in opposition to what the students learn in school from nursing faculty. Preceptors serve as both role models and mentors to student nurses, and benefit from working with students. To help decrease the practice-academia gap, nursing faculty and preceptors need to work together to decrease the stress and anxiety experienced by students as they transition between the two subcultures of academe and practice. This includes developing a shared definition of the culture of nursing, and helping students learn how to navigate and understand the differences between subcultures within the common culture of nursing. Strategies such as nurse residency programs and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Transition to Practice Model can also assist with the enculturation process (Robert Wood Johnson, 2014). This study adds another layer of understanding in how students learn the culture of nursing. Future grounded theory work on this topic will provide a foundation for the processes involved in both practice and academia as students learn the culture of nursing.