The Experiences of Transition to Professional Nurses of Newly Graduated Nurses

Abstract

Introduction Newly graduated nurses are healthcare professionals with minimal experience in their professional roles. According to prior research, newly graduated nurses experienced stress with limited knowledge, and skills when working in specialized units where patient conditions are complicated. This may lead to burnout and a high turnover rate. Improving the support system for newly graduated nurses requires authentic insight from their direct experiences. 

Objective To explore the experiences of newly graduated nurses during their transition to professional nurses 

Design Descriptive qualitative study 

Methods The informants were 27 newly graduated nurses working in a university hospital in the lower-northern region selected through purposive sampling. Three focus group interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide via video conferences. Approximately 8 to 10 informants were invited, and they willingly participated in each focus group discussion at a date and time that best suited their convenience. The data were collected from January to February 2022. Sandelowski’s qualitative content analysis method was employed for data analysis. The study’s trustworthiness was established with dependability, confirmability, credibility, and transferability criteria. 

Findings This study revealed that the newly graduated nurses were surprised by many competence requirements and expectations during the transition period. The experiences were categorized into four major categories as follows: 1) confronting with something new including a new workplace environment, learning new things, and emotions; 2) adjustment including accepting the role changes, adjusting to new co-workers, and adjusting to new tasks; 3) standing on their own feet including expectations from the workplace and end of the probation period; 4) seeking for additional knowledge by learning through nursing conferences, hands-on practice, self-study, and mentoring system. 

Recommendation The findings indicated that newly graduated nurses working in super tertiary hospitals need specific preparation to adapt to their professional nursing roles and possess the required competencies as per their organization’s standards. This study also highlights the importance of close collaboration in preparing students for the transition from educational institutions to workplaces, ensuring their readiness before graduation, and alignment with the organizational requirements during the transitional phase.