'I thought I was just going to teach' : stories of new nurse academics on transitioning from sessional teaching to continuing academic positions

Currently many nursing faculties and schools employ high numbers of sessional teachers to meet the demands of teaching. Sessional teachers are a source for future continuing academic staff; however, there is little exploration on the experiences of sessional teachers as they transition into the full-time nurse academic role. A qualitative study of 14 registered nurse participants used a story-telling approach to explore the experiences of sessional teachers as they transitioned into full-time and continuing academic roles. Findings revealed that participants had only a very limited understanding of the requirements of the academic role when appointed to it. Thematic analysis revealed two major themes. These were: 'Uncertainty: Dealing with role expectation' and 'Mitigating lack of confidence'. The implications of this paper contributes to and enhances knowledge of the transition experiences of sessional teachers and provides new evidence to suggest that adequate support processes are essential for sessional staff transitioning into permanent, full-time academic positions.