The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing Vol. 39 No. 10 October 2008
By Judy Boychuk Duchscher, RN, BScN, MN, PhD
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ABSTRACT
Newly graduated nurses are entering the work force and finding that they have neither the practice expertise nor the confidence to navigate what has become a highly dynamic and intense clinical environment burdened by escalating levels of patient acuity and nursing workload. This research used qualitative methods to build on and mature aspects of the new nurse’s transition experience into acute care. The theory of transition presented in this article incorporates a journey of becoming where new nursing graduates progressed through the stages of doing, being, and knowing. The whole of this journey encompassed ordered processes that included anticipating, learning, performing, concealing, adjusting, questioning, revealing, separating, rediscovering, exploring, and engaging. Although this journey was by no means linear or prescriptive nor always strictly progressive, it was evolutionary and ultimately transformative for all participants. The intense and dynamic transition experience for these newly graduated nurses should inspire educational and service institutions to provide preparatory education on transition as well as extended, sequential, and structured orientation and mentoring programs that bridge senior students’ expectations of professional work life with the reality of employment.
J Contin Educ Nurs 2008;39(10):441-450.
AUTHOR
Dr. Boychuk Duchscher is Facilitator, Scholarly Projects and Programs, SIAST Nursing Division, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
The author discloses that she has no significant financial interests in any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this activity, including research support.
The author acknowledges Dr. Joanne Profetto-McGrath and Dr. Olive Yonge of the University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing for their continued support and guidance during her recent doctoral study. Further to this, sincere appreciation is extended to the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for the Canada Graduate Scholarship that permitted the depth and breadth of this author’s study during the past 6 years. Finally, the author is grateful to the SIAST Nursing Division faculty and deans, who have provided her with outstanding support to conduct her research and writing during the past 10 years.
Address correspondence to Judy Boychuk Duchscher, RN, BScN, MN, PhD, SIAST Nursing Division, 1130 Idywyld Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7K 3R5, Canada.
Original text National Institutes of Health (NIH)