Essay On Schlossbergs Theory And Professional Practice

 

Schlossberg's theory of transition was developed by Nancy K. Schlossberg, a counselling professor. She had studied all kinds of transitions in her professional carrier. The aim of this theory is to guide and help people cope with various kinds of difficulties they face in everyday life. Transition, in this theory, is defined as any events that lead to changes in roles, assumptions, or relationships. The transition depends on how an individual perceives the event or the non-events that are taking place. Individual experience is essential, according to Schlossberg's transition theory (Wall, Fetherston & Browne, 2018). In this essay, I will briefly describe Schlossberg's theory, the literature that supports identifying the major issues in transition, and lastly, how this theoretical framework will be helpful for me in my transition to professional practice.

 

The transition model is a systematic framework that helps people from various professions to go through a transition by listening to the stories and experiences of clients or colleagues. The transition can have individual differences; however, the structure of transition of an individual is stable (Gbogbo, 2020). The transition model stated by Schlossberg has three major parts. The first part is the transition approach, which focuses on providing knowledge and perspective of the transition and how to deal with it. The second part is the coping resources, which signifies the possession of potential resources to assist in their transition (Lindsdrom, 2019). The third part of this model is strengthening the resources that benefit from applying new strategies to cope with transitions.

 

 

In this theory, the author mentions about three types of transitions. The first type is anticipated transition. These transitions are normative and predictable and take place in one's life cycle. These transitions include entering college life, marriage, starting a new job, and so on. The second type is unanticipated transitions (Reburiano, 2019). These events are not scheduled, are unpredictable, and occur suddenly. The reason for these transitions usually involves any crisis or disruptive life event. Events include life termination from a job, the sudden death of a spouse, retirement, birth of a child, and so on. The third type of transition is the non-events transitions. These transitions are those that the individual expected to occur; however, they did not happen, resulting in an alteration in their life. This transition can be an expected marriage that did not happen, or a couple was planning for a child and could not have it.

 

 

The fact that the expected transition did not happen changes the self-perception and behaviour of the individual. Non-events transition can be further divided into personal events related to personal aspirations; ripple transition occurs due to the transition of someone else; the resultant transition is caused due to any specific events and delayed transition in anticipation of an event that might happen in the future. Schlossberg stipulated 4 S's, the resources the individual uses to cope with the transition. They are situation, social support, self, and strategies (Gbogbo, 2020). These 4 Ss determine how effectively the individual copes during the transition. Everyone deals with the transition process differently with different resources. 

 

Professional indicates the way of conducting appropriate demeanour and working in a specific profession of an individual. Any profession requires protracted involvement, training, and education. This term signifies the necessary activities that accentuate the implementation of knowledge and maintain a proper job role in a particular workplace (Ankers, Barton & Parry, 2018). In a pragmatic industrial work setting, acquiring education for work and doing it effectively are two distinctive phenomena and it needs extensive dedication or responsibility for knowing the working process and effectively working on it. The professional practice also helps to build confidence and is beneficial to developing the required skills essential to forging a successful career (Derrick, 2019). Professional practice helps me to understand the required performance and potential skills in a profession and understand the importance of competence, the importance of training, and ethical practice.

 

 

I apprehended that professional practice is essential as it assisted to build my professional life and career path stronger and filled with colours of occupational success. Schlossberg’s transition theory focuses on three major parts. The initial part emphasizes the transition approach signifying the major focus on delivering knowledge and developing needed transitional perspective along with evolving the ways to deal with it (Wall, Fetherston & Browne, 2018). In my profession through the influence of Schlossberg’s transition theory I adapted the skills and applied the knowledge into professional practice to efficiently deal with any uncertain situation. The second part focuses on the coping resources indicating the control over potential resources to support the transitional process (Lindsdrom, 2019). In this context, I acquired specific coping strategies with respect to available resources to expedite my professional transition. The last part of this theory aims to increase the adaption and get efficacy to use available resources through amplification of implemented strategies to grapple any professional transition.

 

 

Professional practice acquiring skills are effective communication with others in a workplace as well as transparent behaviour. It also focuses on negating discrimination, resolution of disputes, commitment to effective professional development, and many more (Sánchez et al. 2020). The professional practice comprises specific standards and values essential to incorporate to lead a productive professional life such as acting with integration, maintaining high service standards, adapting necessary ethics, providing work with competence, and promoting trustworthiness (Heidelberger et al. 2017).

 

As per the Schlosberg theory there are certain issues that are issues that are identified and can be taken as limitation of the theory. A transition in occupational or professional practice can be understood in terms of better job opportunities, enhanced ways to develop overall soft skills. According to Love and Goyal (2019) there are issues that are identified in the due process of professional transitions are related to coping strategies, it helps in delivering strategies and building knowledge that can help in widening my horizons for occupational success. The theory further talks about ways in which a person can use the available resources and excel in professional lives. Finally the theory envisages at potentials and using it efficiently so that professional issues can be solved. However, there are certain issues that have impacted my professional transition and limited Schlosberg theory. 

 

 

Discussing the major points related to Schlosberg theory there are certain issues that are crucial to highlight and these are evident in my professional transition. The first issue is dealing with an uncertain issue I, was initially prepared for a situation however, with the transition the case scenario of the situation changed. In other words, I despite having knowledge and resources I could not identify any way to deal with that uncertainty as my knowledge of domain was different. A change in transition has resulted issues related to knowledge and resource oriented issues (Guo & li, 2018). Secondly, as per my transitional transition the availability of resources was an issue as the resources I had was appropriate for my former profession. The changes that occurred and the transition that took place, the available resources were of no use. Hence, the transition nullified the aspect of avilavlity of resource as per the significance of Schlosberg theory in professional practice (Ikwuka et al, 2021). The control over potential resources resulted as an issue in my professional transition because with a change in profession the effective potential decreases. In other words, before transition the potential I had was suitable for a particular profession. Post the transition, my available potential was not sufficient to resolve any issues. 

 

The adverse impact of professional practice occurs through significant issues in different areas of occupation such as the non-incorporation of required education in the field of practice. It indicates that the employees in an organisation need to implement their knowledge and establish strong practical efficacy to draw a connection between the knowledge and working style. This concern helped me to constantly evaluate my performance and assess the link between my knowledge with the work activities as it diminishes the professional repute of any organisation (Bano et al. 2018). Moreover, supporting and accentuating collaboration with other employees is also required as it may help to build strong communication skills, build relationships and incorporate several ideas to effectively work and develop higher productivity or competence (Sánchez et al. 2020).

 

 

Lack of collaboration helped me to identify and understand the setbacks diminishing productivity and develop cooperation with my co-workers. It negatively impacts the performance, achievements, productivity, and employee retention in the industry (Holmes et al. 2019). However, rectifying it also accentuated my ability to cope with diversity, adaption with hierarchies, and many more. The drawback of professional practice also requires applying productive models in a pragmatic situation which can increase efficiency and eradicate probable chances of mistakes in the working process. I learned to adapt and get skilled to apply certain working models in my professional area which can be considered significant expansion methods of expertise (Forsetlund et al. 2021). These negative impact on the targeted population requires to be diminished with an aim of achieving efficiency in professionalism and promoting creativity, retainment, job satisfaction, work quality, and reducing stress or high cost in the working process.

 

The above discussion sheds light on the theory propounded by Schlosberg's theory of transition, where it is identified that people tend to transit. The discussion further sheds light on the major aspects like availability of resources and using most efficient ways in which these resources can be used to develop professional practice. However, there are certain limitations that have been showcased in Schlossberg’s theory. It is important to mention that the, aforementioned practices are well equipped in any one particular issue. Changes in the professional practice,  have, limited the resources and adversely affect my professional transition. This can be said, that I had formulated the resources, knowledge and potential according one profession. This profession had its own puerilities, a shift in profession limited all the knowledge, resources and potential I had. Overall, Schlossberg’s theory is an useful theory as it helps in understanding the essentialities of preparing oneself for a professional life ahead.

 

Ankers, M. D., Barton, C. A., & Parry, Y. K. (2018). A phenomenological exploration of graduate nurse transition to professional practice within a transition to practice program. Collegian, 25(3), 319-325. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2017.09.002 

 

 

Bano, M., Zowghi, D., Ferrari, A., Spoletini, P., & Donati, B. (2018, August). Learning from mistakes: An empirical study of elicitation interviews performed by novices. In 2018 IEEE 26th International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE) (pp. 182-193). IEEE. https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10105610 

 

 

Forsetlund, L., O'Brien, M. A., Forsen, L., Mwai, L., Reinar, L. M., Okwen, M. P., ... & Rose, C. J. (2021). Continuing education meetings and workshops: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (9). 10.1002/14651858.CD003030.pub2

 

 

Gbogbo, S. (2020). Early motherhood: voices from female adolescents in the Hohoe Municipality, Ghana—a qualitative study utilizing Schlossberg’s Transition Theory. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and well-being, 15(1), 1716620. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2020.1716620 

 

 

Guo, C., & Li, Z. (2018, August). Research on network engineering professional practice teaching reform and innovation in application-oriented undergraduate universities. In 2018 2nd International Conference on Education Science and Economic Management (ICESEM 2018) (pp. 520-523). Atlantis Press. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/icesem-18/25901021

 

 

Heidelberger, L., Smith, C., Robinson-O'Brien, R., Earthman, C., & Robien, K. (2017). Registered dietitian nutritionists' perspectives on integrating food and water system issues into professional practice. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 117(2), 271-277.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.06.380

 

 

Holmes, L., Cresswell, K., Williams, S., Parsons, S., Keane, A., Wilson, C., ... & Starling, B. (2019). Innovating public engagement and patient involvement through strategic collaboration and practice. Research involvement and engagement, 5(1), 1-12. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40900-019-0160-4

 

 

Ikwuka, O. I., Nwafor, H. S., Dike, C. E., Eleje, L. I., Uzor, T. N., & Ikwuka, D. C. (2021). Assessing the availability and application of e-learning resources in schools of midwifery in Anambra State. Asian Journal of Education and e-Learning, 9(6)..

 

 

Lindstrom, D. D. (2019). From Community College Faculty to Dean: Using Schlossberg's Transition Theory to Understand the Transition Experience. https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1036&context=hied_etds

 

 

Love, P., & Goyal, N. (2019). Enhancing the use of theory in student activities professionals’ practice. Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship, 1(1), 33-38. https://www.naca.org/JCAPS/Documents/Love_Article_JCAPS_Issue_1.pdf

 

 

McKitterick, D. J., Peters, M. D., Corsini, N., Chiarella, M., & Eckert, M. (2021). International nursing students’ and new graduates’ experiences of transition to the nursing workforce: a scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 19(4), 874-882. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Della-John-Mckitterick-2/publication/345720765_International_nursing_students'_and_new_graduates'_experiences_of_transition_to_the_nursing_workforce_a_scoping_review_protocol/links/5fb5d0bc458515b79750dcc5/International-nursing-students-and-new-graduates-experiences-of-transition-to-the-nursing-workforce-a-scoping-review-protocol.pdf 

 

 

Reburiano, M. (2019). Military veterans in the federal civil service: a qualitative descriptive study using Schlossberg's transition theory and appreciative inquiry to improve reintegration and retention. . https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/1089

 

 

Sánchez, P. M., Aburto, L. G., Orellana, M. C., & Torres, R. C. (2020). Knowledge and skills for occupational social work: challenges for education and professional practice. Cuadernos de Trabajo Social, 33(2), 247-258. https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/CUTS/article/download/64322/4564456553898

 

 

Wall, P., Fetherston, C., & Browne, C. (2018). Understanding the enrolled nurse to registered nurse journey through a model adapted from Schlossberg's transition theory. Nurse education today, 67, 6-14. : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.04.017