In the UK, lecturers in nursing normally have an extensive clinical background accumulated in
the National Health Service. They arrive in the Higher Education sector with little experience
of university cultures and practices. The transition into this new world can be traumatic as
experienced nurses strive to develop their educational capabilities.
This thesis focuses on conceptions of being a lecturer in nursing within higher education. Data
was collected for the study through video recorded interviews for each of ten lecturers in
nursing based at universities across England and Scotland. For each, a semi-structured
interview, a tutorial with a student, and a video stimulated recall and reflect interview took
place. The data collection design aimed to get beyond espoused identities by collecting rich
data including observation and reflection on practice.
A phenomenographic approach was used to analyse semi-structured interview data to identify
different ways of being a lecturer in nursing. This resulted in five categories of description of
identities in the outcome space: nurse; teacher; academic scholar; researcher; and academic
leader. Bourdieusian analysis of how identities are negotiated during tutorials indicated that
lecturers in nursing had developed new identities within the field of higher education whilst
maintaining their core identity as a nurse.
Currently, it appears that there is little provision to support lecturers in nursing during the
journey from transition to experienced lecturer in nursing. It is proposed that conceptions of
identity are discussed through induction, mentorship and in formal development structures. As
lecturers of nursing, the participants in this study occupy boundary-crossing roles on the
margins of higher education. The super-complex identities of the lecturers revealed in this
study provide useful insight into the life of a contemporary academic.
In addition to lecturers in nursing, this study and its findings may be relevant to those in other
health professions who move between the NHS and Higher Education. The findings may also
transfer to other professions where individuals move sectors, such as between public and
private, where further research would be required.