title: People, liminal spaces and experience: understanding recontextualisation of knowledge for newly qualified nurses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about how newly qualified nurses delegate to health care assistants when delivering bedside care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore newly qualified nurses' experiences of delegating to, and supervising, health care assistants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ethnographic case studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-patient wards in three English National Health Service (NHS) acute hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  33 newly qualified nurses were observed, 10 health care assistants and 12 ward managers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participant observation and in-depth interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We suggest that newly qualified nurses learn to delegate to, and supervise, health care assistants through re-working (`recontextualising') knowledge; and that this process occurs within a transitional (`liminal') space.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conceptualising learning in this way allows an understanding of the shift from student to newly qualified nurse and the associated interaction of people, space and experience. Using ethnographic case studies allows the experiences of those undergoing these transitions to be vocalised by the key people involved.
authors.affiliation: Middlesex University, The Burroughs, Hendon, London NW4 4BT, UK. Electronic address: h.allan@mdx.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Helen Therese
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Nursing & Midwifery Education, University of Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Carin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Nursing & Midwifery Education, University of Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Khim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.affiliation: Institute of Education, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester M6 6PT, UK.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Social Care, University of Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester M6 6PT, UK.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory; D013222:State Medicine
keywords: Liminality; Newly qualified nurses; Participant observation; Recontextualisation; Threshold concepts