Abstract
Aim. The purpose of this qualitative study was to generate a theoretical model that describes the social process that occurs during the role transition from nurse to nurse educator. Background. Recruitment and retention of qualified nurse educators is essential in order to remedy the current staff nurse and faculty shortage in the United States, yet nursing schools face many challenges in this area. Methods. This grounded theory study utilized purposive, theoretical sampling to identify 20 nurse educators teaching in baccalaureate nursing programs in the Midwest. Results. The Nurse Educator Transition (NET) model was created from these data.This model identifies four phases in the role transition from nurse to nurse educator: a) the Anticipatory/Expectation Phase, b) the Disorientation Phase, c) the Information-Seeking Phase, and d) the Identity Formation Phase. Conclusions. Recommendations include integrating formal pedagogical education into nursing graduate programs and creating evidence-based orientation and mentoring programs for novice nurse faculty.