Topic 4 How socialization influences the role of the nurse educator
Professional socialization is the basis of nursing practice which aims at developing nursing identity. Professional identity entails how an individual views themselves as a nurse in terms of skills and knowledge. According to Salisu et al. (2019), developing skills and knowledge is multidimensional and involves activities experienced either in the classroom, clinical area, or during extra curriculum elements. Nurse educators play a vital role in guidance and role-playing to ensure young nurses integrate skills, values, and knowledge to realize professional identity through socialization. From the start of nursing education to becoming a nurse, educators interact closely with nurses to make them confident and uplift their skills. Furthermore, educators constantly monitor, examine, and evaluate learners’ behaviors, skills, values, and knowledge while addressing socialization to help learners develop as responsible nurses. Achieving socialization requires educators to engage learners in various avenues, duties, activities, and resources. Continuous interaction between learners with other nurses, patients, families, friends, and other medical professionals enhances socialization.
How better socialization and integration of nurses into the profession can be supported
Nurses’ development from novice to expert is a long journey that requires interdisciplinary cooperation and several activities. Enhancing socialization and integrating nurses into the profession can be achieved through mentorship and preceptorship. Mentorship can involve various activities, including role-playing, debriefing, and reflective activities that aim to achieve a seamless transition into the workplace and socialization (Innes & Calleja, 2018). Furthermore, nurse educators play a critical role in guiding and equipping learners to develop good communication skills, think critically, make clinical judgments, and promote patient safety. Instilling self-confidence in nurses also helps in achieving socialization