Management
Transitional Theory
Understanding transitional theory and how it applies to young graduate nurses become professional registered nurses has undergone a lot of attention. While quite a number of scholarly and peer-reviewed research materials are available in print and electronic media, the studies of Duchscher (2008), Farnham (1993) and Edgington & Bruce (2006) are considered to understand and answer the question on how transition theory can be used to prepare students for practices as a Graduate nurse. While Duchscher (2008), was quick to say that students experienced a transition shock as they moved from the college to a more professional and nonsensical role of professionally nursing, Farnham (1993) believed that employee participation programs, designed to improve workplace policies and develop effective operational changes advantageous to both management and workers, was the way forward to making the transition comfortable. Edgington & Bruce feel that employees felt good when they came across an organizational culture that matched their likes and beliefs. Thus, if the young graduates are allowed a smooth transition, are provided with equal opportunities and benefits, and practiced a culture that matched their likes and beliefs, the young graduate nurses could transit to registered nurses in no time.
As in any other industry, young graduates who make the transition from college to corporate, are ill-prepared and lack the knowledge of how they need to react or accept responsibilities as they are unaware of the corporate culture. Therefore, there remains an element of fear and rebuke for anything they may commit to unknowingly. Therefore, as Duchscher (2008) says:
“Transition shock emerged as the experience of moving from the known role of a student to the relatively less familiar role of professionally practicing.” (P.1105)
A hospital works in a highly professional manner, there is little time available to personally groom or train new graduates in vital life-saving activities. Once training is over, these young graduates are expected to be ready for clinical procedures. As every act of a stakeholder of the hospital is accountable for his/her action, and as their action has a direct bearing on a patient, there is bound to be abnormal pressure and fear among the new graduates. While these nursing students anticipated changes, they were still not ready for the transition. While it was their choice to choose such a profession, these students, as Duchscher pointed out were looking for:
a welcoming collegial environment, a moderately challenging but easily achievable extension to the roles and responsibilities to which they had grown accustomed, the thrill of actualizing the professional role to which they had earned the title, and the fulfillment of being recognized for the knowledge they had acquired and the commitment they had made to caring for others.” (P.1105)
It would be of high risk if such students were made to attend to cases where there was direct personal intervention or in cases where critical decision-taking was necessary. Doctors and nurses have little time to interact with new recruits or to train or guide them. They work in a highly pressurized and time-bound work environment and find it difficult to find time for them. In addition to this, they both believe that the young graduates need to learn these aspects on their own as they did and don’t have the inclination to teach as this involves enormous time and patience. In such a situation, the new graduates are bound to feel the heat. Therefore, it must be understood that the management should start the transition by introducing an induction or orientation program. The induction program will serve to ease nerves of these new graduates and will help them understand and develop a bond among other members of their team. Once this is complete, a training program should be initiated which teaches these graduates to learn the vital functions and practices of a registered nurse. Many employees are scared to accept the fact that they are unable to perform a particular task. They find it very difficult to say ‘I can’t do it’, or ‘I’m not sure I can do it’, out of fear of losing their position or being rebuked. This could have far-sighted repercussions as any incompetency on the part of the support staff could become life-threatening. Therefore, as Green (1992) says:
“Effort-performance problems can be overcome by skill building exercises such as, training and working simultaneously, combining the work experience with coaching, and finally, combing training, work, and work experience together” (p.55).
It is this that new graduates seek. There has to be a need for affiliation in aspiring for friendly interpersonal relationships. The needs of such individuals are noticeable in their desire to be liked by others, be part of a group, and to have warm relationships. While this is an area that requires immense research and policy formations, there are other tactics that can be employed to bring about operational changes to manage talent effectively. These include, “identifying role models, eliminating biased policies and procedures, providing equal opportunities, training and development, and conducting workshops for employees to increase performance and production,” says Pappie (p.103, 2006).
Conclusion
Much has been written by researchers and experts about transition and its fallacies. While the views of Duchscher’s transition shock, Farnham’s employee participation programs, and Edgington & Bruce’s need for the feel-good syndrome were discussed, there is no doubt that HRM plays an important role in making the transition period successful through positive employee-centric policies that address these issues. Thus, if the young graduates are allowed a smooth transition, they could enhance the quality of services in a hospital and also make the life of the overworked doctors and nurses less taxing. Sadly, not many organizations realize the importance of strong employee-centric policies to dissuade such exodus. HRM programs have been found to be inadequate to address the needs of its employees. If an organization’s turnover is higher than the norm, this signifies that either the organization has serious man-management problems, or there are extraordinary external factors which the company can not cope with.
References
Duchscher J.B. (2009) Transition shock: the initial stage of role adaptation for newly graduated Registered Nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing 65(5), 1103–1113.doi: 10.1111/j.1365 2648.2008.04898.x
Edgington R and Bruce G. (2006) Organizational Culture: Preferences and Realities. Journal, GMAC ® Research Reports • RR-06-11, Available at www.gmac.com/NR/rdonlyres/3F9DD227 EE55-4148-B294-F5C47CCE03AE/0/RR0611_OrganizationalCulture.pdf (last accessed January 14, 2014)
Farnham A, D. (1993). Employee Relations, Exeter: Short Run Press. Knowledge and Process Management, 9 (3):162-171. (As Cited in Joseph K.E. and Dai C. 2009,The Influence of Organizational Culture on Organizational Learning, Worker Involvement and Worker Productivity. p.244)
Green, T. B, (1992), Performance and Motivation Strategies for Today’s Workforce: A Guide to Expectancy Theory, Praeger/Greenwood
Pappie, D, (2006), Women in Business, The Long Haul to Parity, Journal, Management Today, Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/591708/MT-Essays-40th-Anniversary-Women-business---long-haulto-parity/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH (last accessed January 14, 2014)
