Fatherhood as Professional Transition: Conceptualizing <i>Patrescence</i> in Nursing

This concept analysis clarifies the meaning of <i>patrescence in nursing</i>, the developmental transition through which a male nurse becomes a father. Using Walker and Avant's eight-step method, we identified defining attributes including: identity integration, relational reorientation, moral recalibration, temporal development, and work-life negotiation. We also explore antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. <i>Patrescence</i> is presented as a moral and relational transformation linking personal fatherhood with professional caregiving identity. Understanding this process informs nursing theory, education, and organizational policy supporting nurse-fathers' well-being and role integration.