Abstract
The impostor phenomenon (IP) refers to a false internal experience of low intelligence or ability that is associated with anxiety, depression, psychological distress, and burnout. The emotions associated with the IP affect not only personal mental health but also patient care. To address this issue, we need to completely understand the prevalence of and factors related to the IP and ways to resolve/overcome IP feelings. The aim of this scoping review was to identify the existing evidence regarding the IP among nursing students and nurses and determine gaps that can be addressed in future research. We conducted our study based on the scoping review methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) and advanced by Levac et al. (2010). After searching the Embase, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, Web of Science and ProQuest databases, we identified 11 studies for inclusion in this review. We found that while the IP exists in nursing students and nurses, clinical nurse specialist students and final-year nursing students are at significant risk of impostor behavior. We also found that research in the nursing field has focused on the prevalence of and factors related to the IP, but few studies have addressed ways to resolve/overcome IP feelings. Thus, research in this area should be increased. This scoping review presents research gaps that may serve as a starting point for future work on the IP in the nursing field.
Highlights
The impostor phenomenon (IP), which is a concept that was proposed by Clance and Imes (1978), refers to “a false internal experience of low intelligence or ability.” A literature review indicates that many studies have shown that the IP exists in different populations, such as managers, resident physicians, and medical students (Rohrmann et al, 2016; Villwock et al, 2016; Gottlieb et al, 2020), but that it is common among nursing students and nurses (Christensen et al, 2016; Gill, 2020)
Negative psychological problems are associated with many factors, many studies have demonstrated that the IP is a risk factor that impacts their mental health and that the IP is generally elevated in students compared to working professionals (Henning et al, 1998; McGregor et al, 2008; Neureiter and Traut-Mattausch, 2016; Villwock et al, 2016; Bernard et al, 2017; Brauer and Proyer, 2017, 2019)
While we applied the scoping review methodology proposed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) and advanced by Levac et al (2010), we did not perform the sixth step, i.e., consultation, because we studied the literature on the IP among nursing students and nurses and, did not involve other stakeholders’ views on this issue
Summary
The impostor phenomenon (IP), which is a concept that was proposed by Clance and Imes (1978), refers to “a false internal experience of low intelligence or ability.” A literature review indicates that many studies have shown that the IP exists in different populations, such as managers, resident physicians, and medical students (Rohrmann et al, 2016; Villwock et al, 2016; Gottlieb et al, 2020), but that it is common among nursing students and nurses (Christensen et al, 2016; Gill, 2020). Negative psychological problems are associated with many factors, many studies have demonstrated that the IP is a risk factor that impacts their mental health and that the IP is generally elevated in students compared to working professionals (Henning et al, 1998; McGregor et al, 2008; Neureiter and Traut-Mattausch, 2016; Villwock et al, 2016; Bernard et al, 2017; Brauer and Proyer, 2017, 2019). As vulnerable groups, both nursing students and nurses experience emotions associated with the IP that affect their personal mental health and their level of patient care (Gómez-Morales, 2021). It is important to pay attention to the IP among nursing students and nurses
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