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ABSTRACT
This study examines the role transition that occurs during RN-to-family nurse practitioner (FNP) education, described in an earlier qualitative study that identified a role transition framework of influential positive forces and obstacles. The purposes of the study were to validate the educational phase of the original framework and explore other role transition issues. The study used a descriptive correlational design by asking all FNPs in two rural western states to participate by answering a questionnaire. Findings evidenced a stronger level of agreement with the positive forces than with the obstacles. In addition, two significant relationships were found between the positive forces and obstacles and personal life circumstances. These included personal support systems, which were significant for those who had to travel to class, and personal sacrifices, which were significant for those who had children at home. Further research will focus on testing across nurse practitioner specialties nationally.
Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are RNs with additional education that allows them to function in an expanded role as primary care providers. Nurse practitioner (NP) education is a time of great excitement, upheaval, and change for RNs, with the ultimate goal of transformation from RN to NP. Although the journey from RN to independent NP continues through the first few years of practice, the education program is the beginning. The journey has been described as a roller coaster of anxiety, stress, and turbulence. New NPs report feeling overwhelmed, inadequate, vulnerable, and isolated as students. Self-doubt is a common emotion. The transformation from RN to FNP has been characterized as more complicated than that of the stages of skills acquisition, novice to expert, described by Benner, Tanner, and Chesla (1996). Experienced nurses feel discomfort as they go from competent nurses to beginning NPs. This has been documented as a "step backward in expertise" (Brown & Olshansky, 1998, p. 55). During the journey, NP students have the responsibility of acquiring new knowledge, as well as learning to use their previous nursing knowledge in new ways. Family nurse practitioners face the challenge of learning primary care, a field that encompasses a broad range of health problems and family situations. Indeed, NP education is a time of change with uncertainty and increased responsibility as RNs struggle to learn and practice...