1. Gemma Stacey School of Nursing Midwifery and Physiotherapy
The shock of reality: Utilising Reflective Practice Learning to Facilitate Professional Socialisation in Pre-Registration nursing programes
Gemma Stacey
School of Nursing Midwifery and Physiotherapy

2. Background Reality Shock
“the reactions of new workers when they find themselves in a work situation for which they have spent several years preparing and for which they thought they were going to be prepared, and then suddenly find they are not." (Kramer 1974)
Recent studies, current experiences and attrition data continue to reiterate this message

3. Background Consequences Loss of ideals
Loss of values associated with caring and person centred practice
Loss of analytical thinking skills
Compartmentalising the “ideal” and separating it from the “reality”
Low job satisfaction
Attrition

4. Reducing the reality shock
Preventive anticipatory socialisation
confront student nurses with some of the realities of the real working world.
Promoting equilibrium by reducing stress
support to develop or identify resources to cope with the challenges.
Followed up with a preceptorship period to complement the educational interventions.

5. Digital Stories 8 mental health nurses recruited to take part
Three day workshop facilitated by the Patient Voices Programme (
Participants were asked to identify a story about a situation that they have found challenging during their early experience of practice.
Pip to develop

6. Digital Stories Themes Conflict of values
Challenges of the therapeutic relationship
Coping with the emotional consequences of distressing events

7. Designing the Learning Environment
Primary Intervention:
Viewing the digital stories allows knowledge to be given to the person prior to a stressor being encountered
Secondary Intervention:
Discussing the issues that arise from the stories in a safe and supportive learning environment.
Tertiary Intervention:
Recognition and/or development of personal resources that will enable the individual to restore a sense of balance and regain a feeling of control. This can be achieved by looking at past transitions and reminding students of the resources they drew upon to cope

8. Evaluation of the learning environment
Authenticity of the stories
‘It made my learning more meaningful and real.’
Raising issues that were of concern
‘It raised issues and problems which I had been thinking about in the back of my mind.’
Sharing with others
‘It helps you to realise the things you worry about are what others go through too, so you’re not alone.’

9. Evaluation of the learning environment
Developing ways of coping
‘I felt I could relate to the feelings she was experiencing. It made me look at how I would deal with that scenario.’
Initiated a deeper reflection
‘Probably the most I have reflected on anything as I was able to put myself in Susanna’s shoes as she was the one telling the story, not just reading it.’

10. Linking with Clinical Practice

11. References
Bradby, M. (1990) Status passage into nursing: another view of the process of socialization into nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 15(10): pp
Clouder, L. (2003) Becoming Professional: exploring the complexities of professional socialization in health and social care. Learning in Health and Social Care. 2(4) pp
Department of Health (2006) Recruitment and retention of mental health nurses: Good Practice Guide. HMSO:London
Holland, K., (1999) A journey to becoming: the student nurse in transition. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 29(1) pp
Kelly, B. (1998) Preserving moral integrity: a follow-up study with new graduate nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing 28(5), pp
Kramer, M. (1974), Reality Shock - Why Nurses Leave Nursing, St. Louis: Mosby.
Mackintosh C (2006) Caring, the socialisation of pre-registration student nurses, a longitudinal study. International Journal of Nursing Studies