The transition process of nurses from being a student at the university to registered nurse has been of great interest in the recent past mainly because of the challenges encountered. This period of transition is regarded as a time when new nurses experience significant stress as they undertake to gather their nursing knowledge and master the medical skills required at work. The transition period of most new nurses is marked by swift self-development, increased anxiety, and reality shock mainly because of the schooling values that tend to conflict with those in the workstation. According to research, graduate nurses in transition need to be adequately supported in order to boost their job satisfaction that has a great impact on employee retention and professional commitment. Personally, I had the opportunity of experiencing what it is like to be a new nurse in a hospital, which was similar to the documented work by various scholars.
My experience as a new graduate nurse was mixed with various encounter, some of which I appreciated as they adhered to professional practice while others seemed inappropriate and against the values acquired while at the university. As a new graduate nurse, I was tasked with a lot of duties that required my presence in various departments of the hospital that left me tired at the end of the day. However, being shifted from one section of the hospital to another gave me the chance to witness the practicality of the professional practice and how important it is in the hospital. While attached to the theatre, I witnessed a patient being requested to give a second consent before being ushered into the operation table. The patient was required to confirm that what has been documented on the form is what he had signed for, a process that I was impressed with. The issue with professional practice appeared to be of the highest priority in every situation, even though I felt that it delayed some urgent operations. Second, I had an opportunity of taking part in both on-service and in-service training that were organised by the management to help new graduate nurses level up their skills. These pieces of training were also offered to experienced nurses at the hospital to freshen their skills and remind them of the various essential aspects required of them. This program was of great value for me because I got to understand how to apply most of the issues I had learnt while at the University among other important policies that I was required to adhere to. The assistance I received from other experienced nurses cannot be taken for granted especially in terms ensuring the right prescription has been administered to a patient. The nurses present helped me to make sure that the drugs prescribed to the patients were to not subject to any reaction, a point that I noted with utmost importance. I believe that it is important to always confirm the drugs because of the large number of patients who have received the wrong prescription from doctors. The only people who can pick up such errors apart from the doctors themselves are the nurses thereby, the saying that the nurses are the only people who can prevent a doctor from killing a patient (Morales, 2014). In that, doctors too make mistakes; hence, it is always advisable not to assume everything written by the doctor is correct and in the case of any doubt, it is wise to seek advice.
Third, the experience of being a new graduate nurse was devastating and scary especially in one of the hospitals where I was never given the support that I really needed. It was very scary to know to realise that I was solely responsible for the well-being of my patients without any nurse supervisor to watch over my back and assist me whenever necessary. Even though it gave me the opportunity to learn to carry out the duties required of me independently, I feel that new graduate nurses should be assisted all the way in order to ensure they have integrated well with the system. Fourth, I came across certain procedures that I had only done while at the university, which was sometimes back; hence, I knew very well that I had to seek assistance from any of the critical care nurses that were around. However, I observed that some new graduate nurses did not mind the fact that some of the procedures they were not fresh in their minds as they went on to carry them out. In one instance, a new graduate nurse went on to carry out a procedure that required the presence of two nurses thereby, leading to a needle stick injury. Therefore, I believe it is not enough to read the policies and outline followed in carrying out certain procedures when one is not well familiar with them. Moreover, such a situation may turn from bad to worse when a nurse fails to recognise where he or she has made a mistake, as it may further worsen the situation and put the life of the patient in danger.
Scholars have documented many experiences attributed to new graduate nurses, some of them being similar to what I went through as a registered nurse while some are very different. According to Barrere and Durkin (2014), most new graduate nurses underwent a step referred to as the feeling of surprise, which can also describe as shock in other instances. In another study by Washington (2012), he described such an experience as performance anxiety, which refers to the feeling of challenge among new graduate nurses that normally manifests itself in the form of stress. New graduate nurses tend to have the pressure of performing well in their first year of practice in addition to having the fear of making mistakes that translate to performance anxiety (Saghafi, Hardy & Hillege, 2012). In that, it was common for new graduate nurses to feel that they are not prepared to the nursing profession realities of the tasks as a graduate; hence, the fear of making mistakes (Tingleff & Gildberg, 2014). Increased workload normally leads to new graduate nurses losing focus, even though they might have been optimistic at first concerning their potential to undertake the registered nurse role (Liu, Wu, Chou, Chen, Yang & Hsu, 2016). This experience was exactly what I felt while in one of the hospitals as I was left on my own; hence, giving me a feeling that I needed support to carry out the tasks ahead. However, the difference arises from the statement by Charuai (2015) that most new graduate nurses feel like their clinical experience, as a student was insufficient and had not helped them in the transition. In my case, I had confidence and trust in what I learnt while at the university and my school knowledge greatly assisted me while in transition.
The other similar experience to what I went through as a new graduate nurse has been described as preceptor support which implies the presence at least one experienced nurse for consultation (Lea & Cruickshank, 2015). In that, there was always a nurse around who could be relied upon to offer advice in case drugs in a prescription conflicted like was my case. Most of the new graduate nurses appreciated the support they received from their preceptors as it kept them going throughout their transition period even when they thought they were on their own. According to Kaddoura (2013), most new graduate nurses experienced inadequate support from the other nurses during their first year of practice, and this can be attributed to the feeling of shock described earlier. According to D'ambra and Andrews (2014), transition support programs like in-service training were provided to new graduate students because the administration felt that the university preparation was not sufficient for the tasks at the hospital. I had the opportunity to take part in a number of these transition support programs, but my feeling was different as I took them positive and regarded them as means to level up my skills.
In conclusion, the experience of a new graduate nurse id very challenging as it involves various encounters that may either strengthen one’s spirit as a nurse or break one’s spirit, and in the latter case, it may lead to high job turnover. As a new graduate nurse, I came across a number of experiences that gave me strength like the many transition support programs organise by the administration. Additionally, the presence of a few nurses when I really needed their support was of great help as they lifted my spirit. However, various experiences left me stressed especially when I was left alone without support to carry out tasks that had no room for errors.
References
Barrere, C., & Durkin, A. (2014). Finding the right words: The experience of new nurses after ELNEC education integration into a BSN curriculum. MEDSURG Nursing, 23(1), 35-53.
Charuai, S. (2015). Learning Experience of student nurses through reflection on clinical practice: A case study in pediatric nursing, southern Thailand. Walailak Journal of Science & Technology, 12(7), 623-629.
D'ambra, A. M., & Andrews, D. R. (2014). Incivility, retention, and new graduate nurses: an integrated review of the literature. Journal of Nursing Management, 22(6), 735-742. doi:10.1111/jonm.12060
Kaddoura, M. (2013). New graduate nurses' perceived definition of critical thinking during their first nursing experience. Educational Research Quarterly, 36(3), 3-21.
Lea, J., & Cruickshank, M. (2015). The support needs of new graduate nurses making the transition to rural nursing practice in Australia. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 24(7/8), 948-960. doi:10.1111/jocn.12720
Liu, Y., Wu, L., Chou, P., Chen, M., Yang, L., & Hsu, H. (2016). The influence of work-related fatigue, work conditions, and personal characteristics on intent to leave among new nurses. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48(1), 66-73. doi:10.1111/jnu.12181
Morales, E. G. (2014). Lived experience of Hispanic new graduate nurses - a qualitative study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 23(9/10), 1292-1299. doi:10.1111/jocn.12339
Saghafi, F., Hardy, J., & Hillege, S. (2012). New graduate nurses' experiences of interactions in the critical care unit. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 42(1), 20-27.
Tingleff, E. B., & Gildberg, F. A. (2014). New graduate nurses in transition: A review of transition programmes and transition experiences within mental health care. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 23(6), 534-544. doi:10.1111/inm.12087
Washington, G. T. (2012). Performance anxiety in new graduate nurses: is it for real?. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 31(5), 295-300.
