The School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Winona State University - College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Winona, Minnesota, USA.
Nurs Open. 2024 Mar;11(3):e2131. doi: 10.1002/nop2.2131.
The aim of this study was to understand the factors that contribute to the development of the nursing associate professional identity.
A 3-year longitudinal qualitative study of trainee nursing associates.
Trainee nursing associates in England were interviewed remotely annually in February 2020, March 2021 and March 2022. They also provided diary entries. Data were anonymised, transcribed and analysed thematically.
Nursing associate professional identity was developed through: increased knowledge, skills and responsibility; and self-perceptions of identity alongside responses to the role by colleagues. Tensions arose when the scope of practice expected by organisations differed from that expected by the nursing associates. Frustrations occurred when nursing associates were perceived as substitutes for Registered Nurses in the context of nursing workforce shortages.
Nursing associates in this study clearly valued their new knowledge, skills and responsibility, enabling them to provide enhanced patient care. Increased clarity of role boundaries is necessary in enhancing the professional identity of nursing associates and reducing inter-professional tensions arising from role ambiguity within health and social care organisations.
National guidance and employers should provide clarity on the boundaries of the nursing associate role which will strengthen their professional identity and mitigate role ambiguity within health and social care organisations.
The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research has been used to guide reporting.
A patient and public involvement group was consulted during the initial study design stage.
This study aimed to understand the factors which contribute to the development of a nursing associate professional identity. Nursing associate professional identity is developed through increased knowledge, skills and responsibility, and the perceptions of identity by participants themselves and their colleagues. The findings should inform the implementation of initiatives to clarify nursing associate role boundaries and the development of similar roles internationally.
本研究旨在了解促成护理助理专业身份发展的因素。
对英格兰实习护理助理进行的为期 3 年的纵向定性研究。
2020 年 2 月、2021 年 3 月和 2022 年 3 月，通过远程方式对实习护理助理进行年度访谈。他们还提供了日记条目。数据经过匿名化、转录和主题分析。
护理助理的专业身份是通过以下方式发展起来的：知识、技能和责任的增加；以及自我认知的身份认同，以及同事对角色的反应。当组织期望的实践范围与护理助理期望的范围不同时，就会出现紧张局面。当护理助理在护理人员短缺的情况下被视为注册护士的替代品时，就会感到沮丧。
本研究中的护理助理显然重视他们新获得的知识、技能和责任，这使他们能够提供更好的患者护理。在卫生和社会保健组织中，需要更加明确角色界限，以增强护理助理的专业身份，并减少因角色模糊而产生的跨专业紧张关系。
国家指南和雇主应明确护理助理角色的界限，这将增强他们的专业身份，并减轻卫生和社会保健组织内的角色模糊。
已使用统一的定性研究报告标准来指导报告。
在最初的研究设计阶段，咨询了一个患者和公众参与小组。
本研究旨在了解促成护理助理专业身份发展的因素。护理助理的专业身份是通过增加知识、技能和责任，以及参与者自身和同事对身份的看法来发展的。研究结果应该为澄清护理助理角色界限的举措的实施提供信息，并为国际上类似角色的发展提供信息。
