Exploring Nurse Educators' Perceptions of the Subcultures within Nursing as a Means to Bridge the Practice-Education Gap: Findings from an Ethnographic Study

Nurse Educators function at the intersection of three subcultures within nursing: academia, service (practice) and organizational cultures.  Each of these subcultures has unique characteristics that at times lead to conflict.  Nursing education is known for passing on the ideal or desirable culture to their students.  However, the manifest, or “real world” culture can be in sharp contrast to what the students learn.  As part of a focused ethnography on the overall culture of nursing, nurse educator participants  described these subcultures and their difficulties in navigating their different values, beliefs and practices.  Nurse educators found it challenging to balance the multiple expectations (teaching, research, and service) within academia.  Staying current in their professional practice added to the expectations of already busy faculty.   Characteristics of the subculture of academia identified by participants included being formal, caring, traditional, and slow to change.  Characteristics of the subculture of service identified by participants included being less formal, quickly changing, focused on patient quality and safety, and interprofessional collaboration. Similarities between cultures included incivility towards new members (eating our young); an area for improvement identified by many participants.  Organizational culture was seen as influencing the subcultures of academia and service with relationship to structure, dress, and overarching values. While one’s dominant culture (academia for the majority of nurse educators) typically has a strong influence on values, beliefs and behaviors, a greater understanding of the prevailing characteristics of the other subcultures with which one interacts can lead to less cultural imposition and a greater understanding and collaboration between cultures. It can also facilitate improved transitions between the subcultures within nursing.   Implications for nursing education include exploring and accepting various aspects of one’s subculture, building on commonalities, and making tacit aspects of culture more explicit when working with and between subcultures within nursing.