Acculturation refers to the change of customs or ideals from one group to another. It involves the transfer and adaptation of new traits and behaviors mostly happening due to changes in the environment, social group, or even change in profession. Acculturation also can mean a shift in practice as a result of extended contact with a particular group of people. In other words, acculturation implies a change of culture or trait that occurs due to prolonged and continued interaction such that one adopts and entirely fits into a given lifestyle, thus learning to do things as the other individuals in the group. This essay paper will describe the acculturation experience on a new graduate into the nursing profession and how acculturation of a new graduate into the nursing profession differs from the acculturation experience of a new nursing colleague who joins a new nursing team.
First, it is essential to accept the fact that the college environment and experience of any profession are not the same as when one has completed college education and has got into the industry. In college the way of doing things might be very different from the way things are done in the industry. For instance, in nursing, as a student, most of the practical lessons are conducted using animal or plant specimens. Students are taken through the learning process by a qualified and experienced nurse trainer and who, throughout the practical lesson, monitors the progress as he or she guides the students through the practical lesson. The trait changes immediately; one completes college education and joins the job market. In the field as a new graduate, one will be assigned tasks which he or she will be required to complete at the end of a given period. As a newly graduated nurse, one will, more often than not, have to make independent, tough decisions. The times especially the decision-making times, maybe challenging as one is not so sure whether an action is the right one.
Another interesting bit in the transition as a new graduate to the culture of a nursing profession is the change in the environment. While in the workforce, the new nurse is likely to encounter an overwhelming increase in the number of patients each day. The patients suffering from various complicated conditions. With the many patients, the student nurse is likely to have increased workload, which shall compound to his/ her challenges as a fresh nurse with no work experience. As a graduate, one will also have other problems like the difficulty of handling crises and maybe lack of sufficient mentorship. The days will prove tough and very discouraging for in the initial days that one is left wondering if the nursing course was an ideal choice one might have made.
The acculturation experience, however, might be different for a new nursing colleague joining a new team. In his or her initial days working with a new team, the new nurse may not have difficulty in a change of responsibilities and day to day duties while in the new group. However, the new nurse might feel discriminated against give the fact that he/ she has not made friends in the new team. The feeling of discrimination may drain his or her efforts and sometimes feel disliked as the other colleagues move around their lines of duty, exchanging jokes, and hearty peals of laughter. It is likely to take the new nurse sometime before they bond and establish a close working relationship with the older members of the team.