The Novice Nurse : Bridging Gap Between Education And Clinical Practice Essay

McKenna, L., & Newton, J. M. (2009). After the graduate year: a phenomenological exploration of how new nurses develop their knowledge and skill over the first 18 months following graduation. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxymu.wrlc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=57a243af-c0d3-4f81-addf-041456493db3%40sessionmgr4005&vid=1&hid=4206

The hospital has a list of registered nurses trained and accepted as mentors on the unit that the new grad will be assigned. These nurses are trained as preceptors. Often the new grad will select her preceptor as her mentor.

Staff nurses will be paid to come to a classroom setting where they will be taught the five levels of development: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient and expert and the fundamentals of each level (Dracup & Bryan-Brown, 2004). In this class preceptors will be taught to help new nurses deal with the uncertainty of the clinical setting. According to Dracup & Bryan-Brown (2004), both nursing and medicine are taught in an apprenticeship system. Novice nurses require a “guide at the side” and without that guide they cannot move from novice to expert.

When most experienced registered nurses hear the word shock, they begin to use their critical thinking skills to determine the patient’s immediate need. However, new graduate nurses in the career field are faced with a different type of shock; they are faced with transitional shock. Transitional shock is a theory created by Judy Duchscher. Her theory is based on reality shock which is a term coined by Marlene Kramer. Reality shock is when new nurses recognize clinical practice and the classroom setting are two different worlds (Hentz and Gilmore, 2011, p.134). When new graduates transition to a registered nurse position, it does not happen with ease. Over the years, there has been a rise in concern with this transition. As new graduates move in the career field, they may feel anxious and uncertain about their new responsibilities. Unfortunately, when there is a high demand of nurses, new graduate nurses are expected to begin a new job at full speed, but they are not able to handle the fast pace position they are placed in. When new graduates are expected to accomplish task they are unprepared for, it sets them up for transitional shock. To minimize transition shock for new graduates, finding a mentor, preceptor, seeking an internship or residency program may help ease the transition.

In some point in time, during a person’s life they run into the question what do I want to be? They must find a career that they will enjoy or the time that they have spent in class and studying will be in vain. While doing research on the Georgia Career Information Center and from the constant idea throughout my life I have decided that I want to become a registered nurse. The type of work environment, the salary that the job provides and flexibility with work hours are all things that have drawn me to this occupation. I want to specialize in Neonatal. I have always enjoyed caring for people and making a difference to someone. When you become a nurse these are just some of the things that you are able to accomplish. Becoming a registered

A number of emotions were felt during this experience, in regards to transitioning from a student nurse to the registered nurse role. Primarily, the transition in role from student nurse to registered nurse was similar to any clinical experience I have had at Midlands Technical College. I was placed in a medical-surgical rotation. I felt slighted that not only were we required to complete a data tool but we also participated in the teamwork model demonstrated in prior semesters. Personally, I did not feel a transition during this particular clinical experience.

Throughout this clinical semester, I have worked with several different registered nurses (RNs) and have been able to develop mentoring relationships with many of the staff on the unit. During our time together, I interviewed several of my nurse mentors and elicited information regarding their nursing experiences and the culture of the environment in which they work. The following conversations provide a summarization of my nurse mentors’ responses to the selected interview questions.

The new graduate nurses (NGN) are faced with various issues and challenges especially in their first year of nursing practice. The period of transition from a student to a graduate nurse is a demanding period that is filled with new experiences and there are several concerns and factors that can affect the transition process. The research into the issues has recommended some strategies that can be utilised to ease the transition process from being a student to a professional practicing nurse. Exhaustion, reality shock and time management are some of the factors and issues that the new graduate might encounter during their first year in their career.

Transitioning from nursing school to working in a hospital setting can be a challenging time for a new graduate. Due to the nursing shortage, new graduate nurses are being hired with little to no experience. This is overwhelming for new nurses, especially when they are not getting adequate support or training from the hospital. The amount of stress, pressure, and lack of training is leading to a high turnover rate for new graduate nurses. With patient acuity on the rise, new graduate nurses that are filling these vacancies in the hospitals, need to be competent nurses to provide proper and safe care to the patients.

As new nurses enter into bedside nursing, they are precepted by an experienced nurse to help with their transition. This time frame varies based on the specialty of the nursing floor and the progress and experience of the student nurse. But why is precepting chosen? A study by Harrison-White and Simons (2013) shows that students who take part in preceptor programs are more likely to feel more confident in their role, be able to provide effective care sooner, and remain within the nursing field. Considering the implications of this occupation and the current shortage of nurses, it is important that we ensure the best start for

As of 2008, there were about 753,600 Licensed Practical Nurses and 2,618,700 Registered Nurses in the United States (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). In the year 2018, the LPN employment percentage is expected to rise 21% while the RN rate should be approximately 22% (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). This may not seem that high, but it is, when one considers that the expected employment rate for a Dentist is only expected to be 16% (U.S Department of Labor, 2010-11). Nursing is a highly respected and sought after career because every person that enters this profession is able to make a difference and is needed by the general population for his/her skills and contributions to the medical field. When a person is contemplating entering

The beginning of a new graduate nurses career rarely begins easily, there seems to be a distinct disconnect between the fantasy of what it means to be a nurse and the reality of bedside nursing. Nursing school seems to feed into this disconnection, in that it does not prepare the new graduate registered nurse (NGRN) for their professional practice. What nursing school does is give the NGRN the basics, a peak into what is to come. The NGRN has to find out for themselves what the true meaning of being a nurse is and if it fits their preconceived ideas.

As Skar (2010) succinctly explained, knowledge, confidence and courage are potent factors when combined to empower nurses to perform autonomously in the workplace. All RNSE nurses scored highest in terms of mean score when it came to initiating nursing rounds regularly. The preceptorship experience could have instigated self-reflection in the RNSE nurses when it came to their nursing career and has further enhanced their awareness of their capacities, strengths and limitations, professional

As a new grad nurse it’s very comforting to know you would be my preceptor and that a longer orientation period is possible if I may need more time. According to Price (2014), there is recognition that newly qualified nurses find it difficult to make the transition to registered nurse practice and I would rely on my preceptor for proper guidance. Its good to know that you provide continues feed back, as a preceptorship program need to have structure (Price 2014). I am looking forward to developing my hand on skills and would like you to have skills review with me. According to Price (2014), when invited to discuss a skill of concern, it is vital the preceptor does not dismiss it. Skills may develop or deteriorate over time, so attention to

Just like most people are asked when did they realize they wanted to be a nurse, I use to reply with I just always knew. However it wasn’t until my junior year of highschool I could truly explain why I wanted to be a nurse. I took a nontraditional path in high school and decided to attend my local technical high school and enroll in the health assisting program. In the health assisting program I was given the opportunity to gain experience in many different areas such as working with individuals with developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, and caring for those on in an assisted living facility. Here is where my journey begins.