Professional transition and identity formation of surgical care practitioners: a phenomenological interpretation of their lived experiences

Abstract

Surgical care practitioners are non-medical members of the surgical team, who provide direct surgical care to patients, delegated by consultant surgeons. The surgical care practitioners’ professional role is within the new non-medical or nursing workstream, practising under the medical model of care in response to staff shortages and the rising expectations that are affecting the National Health Service. This article seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon of the emergent professional identity of surgical care practitioners. Six surgical care practitioners were purposively sampled for in-depth, semi-structured interviews whereupon their concepts of professional transition and professional identity formation from their individual points of view were explored using a phenomenological approach. Transcripts and reflective texts were subject to repeated interpretation in a hermeneutic circle of understanding. Interpretation of the results in context allowed for a discussion informed by self-interpreted constructions and revolved around eight cluster themes that emerged explicating how surgical care practitioners experienced professional transition and professional identity formation. In addition, a notion of ‘journey’ in the development of professional identity (narratives about professional identity formation: the hero’s journey) was embedded in the reflections of the participants and their narratives produced rich accounts of the phenomenon under investigation.