Registered Nurses’ Metamorphosed “Real Job” Experiences and Nursing Students’ Vocational Anticipatory Socialization

ABSTRACT

Although communication scholars have studied organizational socialization extensively, few studies have investigated the extent that future newcomers’ anticipatory socialization experiences realistically prepare them for the “real job.” I conducted 32 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with registered nurses and nursing students to understand their experiences in becoming nurses. Two themes outline the motivators that attracted registered nurses and nursing students to the nursing profession. Furthermore, nursing students’ recent positive anticipatory socialization experiences can mitigate recent negative anticipatory socialization experiences and reinforce positive pre-college motivators to become nurses. In addition to contributing knowledge on nursing students’ anticipatory socialization experiences, I will also discuss the theoretical and applied importance of a pre-employment anticipatory socialization source.

KEYWORDS:

• Anticipatory socialization
• clinicals
• memorable messages
• nurse education
• nursing student
• organizational socialization

Acknowledgments

The author is indebted to the participants of this study.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ivan Gan

Ivan Gan (PhD, Texas A&M University) is an assistant professor in the Department of Arts & Communication at the University of Houston-Downtown. He studies the implications of work arrangements and socialization experiences in complex organizations.