• To increase your understanding of imposter phenomenon
• To understand the effects of imposter phenomenon for nurses and healthcare organisations
• To learn about how healthcare organisations and higher education institutions can address imposter phenomenon
Imposter phenomenon is described as persistently doubting one’s accomplishments, leading to an internalised fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’. This article identifies the nature and prevalence of imposter phenomenon among nursing students, newly registered nurses and senior nurses. It also explores the effects of this phenomenon for nurses and healthcare organisations, including its potential association with burnout, suboptimal performance and a lack of career development. Evidence suggests that addressing imposter phenomenon is not something individuals can accomplish by themselves, but that it requires system-level interventions from healthcare organisations and higher education institutions. This could raise awareness, promote recognition and improve resources and training to mitigate the detrimental effects of this phenomenon on healthcare provision.
Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2024.e12277
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Coelho V (2024) Imposter phenomenon: recognising and addressing it among nurses. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2024.e12277
Published online: 08 July 2024
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