Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate the experience of role adaptation from nurse to member of the nursing faculty.
Methods: Data were collected from 13 members of a nursing faculty through in-depth interviews. The main question asked was "Could you describe your experience from being a nurse to becoming a member of the nursing faculty?" Qualitative data from the field and transcribed notes were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory methodology.
Results: The core experiential category of role adaptation from nurse to member of the nursing faculty was 'striving for survival from culture shock'. The participants used the following three interactional strategies: 'recognizing everything and entering the school environment', 'self-reflection on being a professor and integration of experiences', and 'finding a way of adapting'.
Conclusion: The participants tried to adapt to life as a professor and reflected on and integrated their experiences into their new life on the faculty. College faculty need to understand the impact of changes and challenges faced by new professors during role adaptation and to support this adaptation through mentorship and organized orientation programs.
Keywords: Nurses; Nursing faculty; Psychological adaptation; Qualitative research; Universities.