title: Developing professional identity in nursing academics: the role of communities of practice.
abstract: This paper analyses the current standing of nursing within the wider United Kingdom (UK) higher education (HE) environment and considers the development of academic identity within the sector, introducing a technology mediated approach to professional learning and development. A community of practice (CoP) is a way of learning based on collaboration among peers. Individuals come together virtually or physically, with a common purpose, defined by knowledge rather than task [Wenger, E., 1998. Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity, sixth ed. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge]. In 2008, a small team of academics at Glasgow Caledonian University, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Community Health created and implemented iCoP, a project undertaken to pilot an international CoP, where novices and expert academics collaborated to debate and discuss the complex transition from clinician to academic. Although not intended as a conventional research project, the developmental journey and emerging online discussion provide an insight into the collective thoughts and opinions of a multi-national group of novice academics. The article also highlights the key challenges, problems and limitations of working in an international online arena with professionals who traditionally work and thrive in a face to face, real time environment.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Community Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. n.andrew@gcal.ac.uk
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andrew
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilkie
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010865:Pilot Projects; D024382:Professional Role; D012606:Scotland; D012933:Social Identification