Recontextualising professional knowledge – newly qualified nurses and physicians¹

1. Authors contributed equally to the article.

Abstract

This article examines the discrepancy between newly qualified nurses’ and physicians’ assessment of acquired knowledge in education and their assessment of the knowledge demands in occupational practice. Knowledge learned in educational institutions is traditionally conceived as general and decontextualised with great potential for transmission transcending different contexts and situations. The gaps between knowledge learned in higher education and knowledge demands in professional practice are, however, not merely a failure in the delivery of knowledge. It is argued that the concept of ‘boundary‐crossing’ is an appropriate way of reconceptualising the theory–practice gaps because it focuses on the challenges as well as constructive processes graduates face in their first years in professional work. The empirical material is based upon questionnaires handed in by students in their final semester 2001 and three years after graduation in 2004.

Keywords:

• boundary‐crossing
• theory–practice gap
• newly qualified professionals
• nurses and physicians

Notes

1. Authors contributed equally to the article.

2. The reason why the response rate is lower among physicians in Wave 2 even though the number of respondents is higher than in Wave 1 is that more physicians were included in Wave 2 than in Wave 1.