A good day in nursing: Views of recent Singaporean graduates

Abstract

This paper arises from the analysis of data from a large Singapore-based survey and a complementary qualitative series of 17 individual interviews. Some results from both arms of the research have been previously analysed and are reported elsewhere. Answers to a series of questions within the questionnaire and the structured interviews have been drawn together under the umbrella of investigating of recent Singaporean graduates' views about the characteristics of a good nurse, a good day at work, and how they uphold ethical standards. Overall five themes emerged, these are: caring for others; respectful interpersonal interaction; rational clinical decision-making; the harsh reality of the workplace; and personal qualities (not easily influenced by formal education). Interviewees believed that potential nursing students should be made aware of the harsh realities they will face on graduation, which may seem counter-intuitive. However, graduates recalled their own struggles and perseverance and toughness to simply survive the early months as a key component of transition shock, indicating that an earlier awareness may be beneficial.

Recent graduate nurse views of nursing, work and leadership

“…These nurses previously provided consent to be contacted for future research and were sent a survey [survey results are reported in companion papers (Cleary et al . , b)]. At the end of the survey, respondents were able to state whether they wished to be contacted for the purpose of a face‐to‐face interview.…”

Nursing management of aggression in a Singapore emergency department: A qualitative study

“…In Singapore, the nursing profession is predominantly female, there is a shortage of registered nurses (RN), and the nursing workforce has a strong work ethic, typically working long hours to meet tight deadlines (Cleary et al ., ,b). According to Gantz et al ., (), Singapore has a younger nursing workforce than in most developed countries, and there is substantial attrition of nurses within the first three years of their career related to the less‐than‐ideal working environment.…”

Teaching and supporting nursing students on clinical placements: Doing the right thing

“…The concept that RNs are trying to do the right thing is not just limited to the boundaries of this study. There is discourse throughout the literature that relates to RNs doing the right thing (Catlin, 2013;Dee, & Endacott, 2011;Cleary, Horsfall, Muthulakshmi, & Jackson, 2013;Horton-Deutsch et al, 2014;Newham, 2015). The literature revealed that there is an expectation that RNs do the right thing professionally, morally and ethically (Holt & Convey, 2012;Smith & Godfrey, 2002;Tuckett, 1998).…”