Am I jumping in that floating boat? Reflections on working as a nurse in Aotearoa New Zealand

This paper explores experiences of nurses working in Aotearoa New Zealand. It draws on interviews of eight clinical nurse educators and focuses on two interview narratives: one internationally trained, and the other locally... [ view full abstract ]

This paper explores experiences of nurses working in Aotearoa New Zealand. It draws on interviews of eight clinical nurse educators and focuses on two interview narratives: one internationally trained, and the other locally trained. It highlights challenges faced by internationally trained nurses in the work place and individual and institutional responses to these.

It applies methodological insights from a recently completed practice-led PhD inquiry which uses narrative as method and text. It discusses key aspects in the construction of the narratives (Clandinin 2016, Clandinin &Connelly 2000, Reissman 2008), and applies Lave and Wenger’s important analysis of situated learning and legitimate peripheral participation.

The paper offers the interview narratives as an opportunity to think with rather than about the narratives ( Bochner & Riggs, 2014) particularly through the rich illustrations of the discursive construction of culture and identity, both personal and professional (Weedon 2004). It briefly analyses how insights from the narratives have been applied in a graduate-level academic literacies programme. It concludes that the interviews offer valuable insights for classroom based teaching and learning and also suggests they may also be valuable for professional development in the health workplace.