Finding my own way: Nursing identity development from layperson to new BN graduate

Abstract

One goal of Baccalaureate nursing (BN) education is to influence Nursing Identity (NI) development of graduates. The purpose of this study was to examine the process of NI development from the perspective of recent BN graduates in Manitoba. The emerging grounded theory FINDING MY OWN WAY is proposed as a provisional explanation of the individualized journey of NI development from layperson to registered nurse (RN), where one is seeking a balance between one's Ideal Nursing Identity and the Lived Nursing Identity. This journey involves four interrelated, overlapping, and at times recurring phases: (1) Choosing Nursing, (2) Being the Nursing Student, (3) Becoming an RN, and (4) Being the New RN, each phase influenced by the context of Personal Identity and Environment which together generate Meanings, Choices, and Actions. During these phases, the person is first, aligning, then refining and redefining, and finally customizing how this NI will be enacted.