Transition to the Nurse Educator Role; Experiences of Novice Nurse Educators in Central Region of Ghana

Abstract

Nursing workforce shortage and corresponding scaling up of training leads to increasing numbers in schools and corresponding need for faculty. Faculty are usually recruited from the clinical area and undergo transition into academia which could be challenging affecting both the faculty (educator) and students. Ghanaian ―novice‖ nurse educators undergo additional preparation and undergo transition like colleagues in other jurisdictions, yet their experiences have been less explored and documented. The study sought to explore the transition experiences of these nurse educators in the Central Region of Ghana. The study was a qualitative exploratory case study, and its population were ―novice‖ nurse educators, who were purposively sampled from Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges in the Central Region. Data was collected using semi-structured interview guide, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Ethical clearance was sought and granted by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Cape Coast. The participants described their transition as stressful stating feelings of anxiety and ambivalence about their new role despite their prior preparation. Overwhelming workload, difficulty in maintaining practice, inadequate orientation and ineffective mentorship were described as main contributory factors to the stressful transition. Establishing and maintaining relationship with colleagues as well as personal reflection were described as the main coping strategies. The study concluded that the transition of novice nurse educators in Ghana are stressful (despite the prior preparation received experience) and there is therefore the need for them to be supported through effective and structured mentorship, orientation, and organizational support.