Do graduate entry nursing student’s experience ‘Imposter Phenomenon’?: an issue for debate

The recruitment of Graduates into the nursing profession is seen as advantageous in the academic literature. Conversely educated nurses are often portrayed in the media as “too posh to wash”. We would argue these conflicting discourses have a negative effect on graduate entry nurse education. Graduate nursing students may be particularly susceptible to “Imposter Phenomenon” a concept that describes an "internal experience of intellectual phoniness" exhibited by individuals who appear successful to others, but internally feel incompetent. We would like to encourage debate through the presentation of a small set of pilot data that established that 74% of the participants had frequent to intense experiences of Imposter Phenomenon. Students experienced feelings of failure despite consistent high achievement. Our findings and the prevalent negative rhetoric surrounding highly educated student nurses raise concerns regarding the impact of the anti-intellectualism on the Graduate entry student’s perception of self. Others may argue that this could simply be a 'natural' or expected level of anxiety in a time of transition that has no lasting impact. We debate this issue in relation to the existing literature to encourage critical dialogue

The Imposter Phenomenon among Emerging Adults Transitioning into Professional Life: Developing A Grounded Theory

This study qualitatively explored the imposter phenomenon among 29 emerging adults who were transitioning into professional life. A grounded theory was developed that described the imposter phenomenon, internal and external contributing factors, and its impact in terms of performance and affective reactions. Implications for counselors of emerging adults are discussed

Do student nurses experience Imposter Phenomenon? An international comparison of Final Year Undergraduate Nursing Students readiness for registration

Background: The transition shock sometimes associated with moving from student to registered nurse can lead to feelings of self-doubt and insecurity especially with the increased expectations and responsibilities that registration brings. Known as Imposter Phenomena, individuals often express a lack of self-confidence, uncertainty in their abilities or that others have an over inflated opinion of them. Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the extent at which imposter phenomenon is evident in four final year nursing student cohorts in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Design: A survey design. Settings: The study took place at 4 higher education institutes – two metropolitan campuses and two regional campuses between October 2014 and February 2015 in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. A sample of 223 final year nursing students undertaking nationally accredited nursing programmes were approached. Results: Each cohort exhibited mild to moderate feelings of Imposter Phenomena. A positive weak correlation between imposter phenomena and preparedness for practice was found. The New Zealand cohort scored higher than both the Australian and United Kingdom cohorts on both feelings of imposterism and preparedness for practice. Conclusions: Nursing students possess internalised feelings which suggest their performance and competence once qualified could be compromised. There is some speculation that the respective curriculums may have some bearing on preparing students for registration and beyond. It is recommended that educational programmes designed for this student cohort should be mindful of this internal conflict and potential external hostility