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

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Academic Careers
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Nurse academics transition from clinical practice to academia.
• This transition involves complex career changes throughout their professional journey.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurse academics' experiences during career transitions.
• To understand the continuous nature of these transitions throughout their academic careers.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study design.
• Focus group interviews with 17 nurse academics in Norway.
• Qualitative content analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Identified three themes: 'clinically confident, yet academically uncertain', 'balancing the academic role', and 'lost in academic transition'.
• Career transitions are ongoing and concurrent processes, not isolated events.
• Transitions impact daily life and may occur without adequate support.

Conclusions:

• Nurse academics' transition is a continuous process, not a one-time event.
• Identified challenges include shifts in identity, new responsibilities, and lack of support.
• Universities should enhance training and preparation for nurse academics' career transitions.