Becoming an academic: the reconstruction of identity by recently appointed lecturers in nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions

Abstract

This study investigates the workplace learning experiences of recently appointed lecturers in UK higher education in nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions. Health care practitioners, appointed to academic posts in Universities, are experts in their respective clinical fields and hold strong practitioner identities developed through professional socialisation. This study focuses on the first five years of experience after appointment to higher education and aims to inform strategies for academic induction. The new lecturers generally find their mid -career transition challenging but they feel well supported. They are strongly motivated by their contribution to the development of student practitioners. They tend to hold on strongly to their identity as a clinical practitioner rather than quickly embracing new identities of scholar and researcher. The implications include the need for university departments in health professional fields to provide clearer role models and more realistic expectations for new lecturers.

Keywords:

• identity
• lecturer
• academic
• induction
• professional
• health

Acknowledgement

This project was supported by funding from the Health Science and Practice subject centre of the Higher Education Academy.