"I felt a sense of belonging somewhere". Supporting graduates' job transitions with WhatsApp groups. (October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pimmer, Christoph; Abiodun, Rita; Daniels, Felicity; Chipps, Jennifer
• Is Part Of: Nurse education today. Volume 81(2019)
• Page Start: 57
• Page End: 63
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Subjects: Graduates -- Instant messaging -- Mobile instant messaging -- WhatsApp -- Postgraduate nursing -- Study-to-work transition; Nursing -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Education, Nursing -- Periodicals; Soins infirmiers -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; Nursing -- Study and teaching; Periodicals; 610.7307
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2019.06.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0260-6917

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Nurse graduates' transition into the world of work is a very challenging phase of professional development. This research examined the affordances of using moderated WhatsApp groups to support nurse graduates in this phase. Approach and methods: Study participants, newly graduated nurses ( n = 72) from South Africa, were assigned to two WhatsApp groups. The groups were facilitated by moderators during the 12-week intervention. The intervention was based on a curriculum that incorporated topics related to professional immersion that emerged from a priori needs assessment. Twelve individual interviews were carried out and analysed together with the written conversations from the WhatsApp chats using content analysis as part of an interpretive paradigm. Results: Three central affordances emerged in the analysis: (1) Instructional: joint learning and cooperative problem solving in-situ; (2) Social: co-constructing proximity and providing motivational and socio-emotional support; (3) Professional: scaffolding job immersion in becoming and being a nurse. Through re-connecting relatable social ties (former students) and tapping into a medium that afforded intimacy, immediacy and high levels of ownership, the intervention offered spatially, socio-culturally and often emotionally 'dislocated' graduates a provisional space to belong to. Conclusions: The feasibility and dynamics of supporting graduates in marginalised and remote areas with a facilitated, peer-mediated and WhatsApp-based transition support group are shown; practical recommendations and challenges are discussed.