Embracing Ambiguity, Uncertainty, and Dissonance: A Conceptual Framework to Guide the Transition to Practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Learning Environments
• Professional Development

Background:

• Limited understanding of nursing students' experiences with ambiguity, uncertainty, and dissonance.
• Extensive literature exists on resilience, but not on embracing negative experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a conceptual framework for nurse educators.
• To guide students in navigating ambiguity, uncertainty, and dissonance during their transition to practice.

Main Methods:

• Development of a conceptual framework based on theoretical linkages.
• Identification of four key themes: capacity to persist with discomfort, learning environments, dissonance as transformative, and crisis of ordinariness.

Main Results:

• Ambiguity, uncertainty, and dissonance can be viewed as transformative experiences.
• Reflective learning helps students embrace these feelings rather than resist them.
• These experiences can enhance readiness, capacity, and perseverance for practice.

Conclusions:

• Transforming negative feelings into growth opportunities is crucial for nursing students.
• The framework aids educators in preparing students for professional practice.
• Further research is needed on students' capacity to embrace ambiguity, uncertainty, and dissonance.