The role adaptation process of head nurses in the general hospitals.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to identify the role adaptation process experienced by head nurses.


METHODS
Data were collected from 10 head nurses with in-depth interviews about their actual experiences. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed. The collected data were analyzed by the grounded theory methodology of Strauss and Corbin.


RESULTS
The core category was identified as "weighing and balancing," and the role adaptation process was divided into six stages by time sequence: inquiring, approaching to others, bringing people into their fold, working with conviction, avoiding conflicts, and settling.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study yield useful information for top managers of nursing to identify, by stages, the demands of the head nurses in their role adaptation process. The findings of this study contributes to developing programs that facilitates the head nurses' role adaptation.
Kang
Sung Rye
SR
Research Institution of Nursing College, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-799, Korea. phora7@snu.ac.kr
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007723:Korea; D007857:Leadership; D016294:Models, Nursing; D008960:Models, Psychological; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory / Q000458:organization & administration; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards; D036301:Qualitative Research; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires