Introduction. nursing. It involves ongoing learning that often begins when one enters a nursing education

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1 Elizabeth Kinberger: Professional Socialization into Nursing 1 Introduction Professional socialization is a unique process for each individual entering into the field of nursing. It involves ongoing learning that often begins when one enters a nursing education program and continues throughout one s career. The ultimate objective of professional socialization is to internalize the norms, values, attitudes and behaviors consistent with seasoned members of the profession, while formulating your own professional identity. Along the way, the values and ideals that you start out with must be reconciled with the sometimes difficult and conflicting realities that occur in the real world of nursing. This dilemma often gives way to potential role stress and strain. Developing effective coping mechanisms and strategies for stress reduction are essential in maintaining a healthy balance, and subsequently increase one s ability to be an effective and competent nurse (Blais & Hayes, 2011). In the following discussion, I will explore my personal professional socialization experiences and the coping strategies I have utilized during this process. Discussion As a result of my work experience in the healthcare setting prior to becoming a nurse, I believe that my socialization process began years before I had any formal education in nursing, and continues to this day. My initial experiences involved working with nurses in a professional setting, where I was able to observe the many roles that nurses are required to perform. These informal experiences resulted in the development of preconceived notions and expectations that remained with me until after I began my formal education in nursing (Price, 2008). At this point, I entered Stage I (Initial Innocence) of the Davis (1966) Doctrinal Conversion Model of initial socialization into professional roles (Blais et al., 2011).

2 Elizabeth Kinberger: Professional Socialization into Nursing 2 I began an accelerated nursing program in 2009, which required total dedication to my studies and initiated my formal socialization into the nursing profession. I remember on the first day of class, my professor told us that from this point forward, we would never look at nursing the same again. She was right! I feel fortunate that overall, my experiences in my nursing program were positive. Due to the fast-paced nature of the program, I had to move through the stages of the various models of socialization into the profession role of nursing rather quickly (Blais et al., 2011). Along the way, I quickly formed attachments to classmates and instructors whose values coincided with my own. There were times when I was required to reconcile my idealistic view of the nurse s role with the realities observed in clinical practice, and on a few occasions felt completely overwhelmed and full of self-doubt (Price, 2008). Fortunately, I was able to overcome my fears with considerable practice, positive experiences, and the support of my peers, family, and effective role-models. My first RN position upon graduation was in a nursing home. It was in this setting that I realized that the reality of nursing was very different than the theoretical models emphasized in school. It was at this point that I entered into Stage I (Novice) of Benner s Stages of Nursing Expertise. I found that with 30 geriatric patients; administering medications, performing treatments, and adequately addressing their emotional needs was next to impossible. It was a very eye-opening experience and somewhat disheartening. Since nursing homes are staffed predominantly by LPNs, I was met with a certain degree of hostility for being a new RN graduate that was in charge of many highly experienced practical nurses in the field. Some of the other nurses at the facility were very helpful and encouraged my success, but I certainly felt a strong need to learn quickly and prove to the staff that I was a competent nurse. During my

3 Elizabeth Kinberger: Professional Socialization into Nursing 3 employment there, I moved to Benner s second stage, the Advanced Beginner (Blais et al., 2011). After several months working in the nursing home, I was excited to be hired as psych nurse in a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital. This was my initial goal after all - to work with youth in the mental health field and eventually become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. My nursing role in this setting felt as if it came naturally to me. Due to my previous experiences working in the mental health field, I quickly gained confidence in my nursing skills and moved through stage II (Advanced Beginner) and III (Competent Practitioner) of Benner s Stages of Nursing Expertise. After two years of working in this setting, I feel that I have fully reached Stage IV (Proficient Practitioner) of this model and have become highly effective at what I do (Blais et al., 2011). In addition, I have developed strong attachments to my coworkers and superiors, strive to meet the goals of the organization, and find the work that I do extremely rewarding. I am now ready to continue my educational journey to Stage V (Expert Level) in my field. Although I completely love my current position, I have not been immune to the stresses associated with entering into the nursing profession. In the beginning, my confidence level in my abilities was low. It was a bit overwhelming trying to learn the basic skills required to perform my job effectively, attempting to figure out the system, and striving to develop positive relationships with my coworkers. This necessitated the development of effective ways to manage the stress inherent to the profession. Coping mechanisms that worked best for me included seeking support and guidance from more experienced peers, having a network of friends available to safely discuss my complaints/fears, and maintaining a positive attitude that my skills would improve with practice and in time (Price, 2008). I still utilize these coping

4 Elizabeth Kinberger: Professional Socialization into Nursing 4 methods today, but also have become much better with time management and preparing for the unexpected. As a psychiatric nurse, it is crucial to be effective in handling crisis situations, which is a competency that grows with time and experience. With each new situation that arises, I am continuously learning new coping strategies and understand that this will be a lifelong process. The major difficulties that I face in the professional socialization process involve experiences with coworkers who see nursing as merely a job and are unhappy or burnt out with what they do. Due to the critical state of the mental health system, we are often faced with inadequate staffing, lack of resources, and increased work hours that eventually take a toll on the morale of the staff. Unfortunately, working with these individuals can produce an extremely negative environment that affects the entire mood of the organization. Another issue that I struggle with is that the upper management of the organization is more focused on cost and profitability than on effective patient care. While I constantly strive to maintain my values and ethical principles in the profession, I find it difficult to reconcile within myself the inadequacies and injustices that I observe in practice almost every day (Price, 2008). As a result, I am more passionate than ever about continuing my education and advocating for change in mental health care. Conclusion Formal professional socialization of nurses is an ongoing process that begins when one enters nursing school and continues throughout a nurse s career. Each individual experiences this process in a unique way. Numerous socialization agents contribute to the internalization of the core values and roles that eventually form the nurse s professional identity. However, this identity is not static but it evolves with experience, education, and mastery of skills (Blais et al,

5 Elizabeth Kinberger: Professional Socialization into Nursing ). I am very excited about moving forward in this process and hope to be a positive role model and mentor to others entering the field now and in the future.

6 Elizabeth Kinberger: Professional Socialization into Nursing 6 References Blais, K.K., & Hayes, J.S. (2011). Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives (6 th ed.), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Price, S. (2008, August 5). Becoming a nurse: a meta-study of early professional socialization and career choice in nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(1), doi: /j x

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