‘I thought I was just going to teach’: Stories of new nurse academics on transitioning from sessional teaching to continuing academic positions

Abstract

Currently many nursing faculties and schools employ high numbers of sessional teachers to meet the demands of teaching. Sessional teachers are a source for future continuing academic staff; however, there is little exploration on the experiences of sessional teachers as they transition into the full-time nurse academic role. A qualitative study of 14 registered nurse participants used a story-telling approach to explore the experiences of sessional teachers as they transitioned into full-time and continuing academic roles. Findings revealed that participants had only a very limited understanding of the requirements of the academic role when appointed to it. Thematic analysis revealed two major themes. These were: 'Uncertainty: Dealing with role expectation' and 'Mitigating lack of confidence'. The implications of this paper contributes to and enhances knowledge of the transition experiences of sessional teachers and provides new evidence to suggest that adequate support processes are essential for sessional staff transitioning into permanent, full-time academic positions.

Occupational stress facing nurse academics—A mixed‐methods systematic review

“…As previously stated, a number of papers focused on the transition into academic life and the issues around the changes needed to successfully negotiate this transition (Anderson, ; Wyllie et al, ). There was evidence that newcomers to nursing academia were not sure what to expect (McDermid, Peters, Daly, & Jackson, ), and the lack of role clarity represented a source of additional stress. Logan et al () explored and compared the change of roles from a clinician to a nurse academic within the UK and Australia.…”

“…They found the stresses too overbearing and made the decision to leave and return to clinical nursing.

back to nursing because I don't care how hard I work at that bedside for that 12 hours when I go home it's over. (Mc Dermid et al, , p. 50)

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“…back to nursing because I don't care how hard I work at that bedside for that 12 hours when I go home it's over. (Mc Dermid et al, , p. 50)…”

Walking alongside: a qualitative study of the experiences and perceptions of academic nurse mentors supporting early career nurse academics

“…The period of transition from clinical to the academic environment can be a time of stress and difficulty for ECNA (McDermid et al, 2013). Mentorship is considered to be an influential means of successfully developing ECNA and supporting their efficacious transition into academic life (Dunham-Taylor et al, 2008).…”

From Clinical Practice to Academia

“…Some feel ill-prepared to grade the students and worry that the grades are too liberal or too harsh when compared with their experienced faculty peers. 3 Realization that the role of the academic is different when considering priorities contributes to the culture shock as well. Many new faculty believe, through their clinically focused lens, that a full-time faculty member spends all of his/her time teaching students.…”