From student to graduate: longitudinal changes in the qualities of nurses

Abstract

This unique longitudinal study of Australian nurses suggests that the clinical experience and theoretical grounding provided in our University programs, has resulted in an increasing cumulative effect in the third year supporting most qualities of nurses/nursing understood in year 1, that is, the career fit to perceptions, has been achieved. The decline in the 1(st) year of graduation, where the concept of workplace misfit is occurring, is where further nurse graduate support is urgently required.

Nursing students' changing orientation and attitudes towards nursing during education: A two year longitudinal study

“…Exposure to the process of nurse education seemed to shift students' focus, especially at the end of the second year of education, once all students had completed their first internship in clinical practice. This is in line with the results of previous studies which showed that classroom and clinical experiences enhance the professional features of nursing and ensured that students recognized more fundamentally what nursing really entails (Cowin and Johnson, 2015;Day et al, 2005;Tseng et al, 2013). The first-year students in the study by Grainger and Bolan (2006) saw nurses as nice people who feel good about what they are doing, while fourth-year students were more focused on the professional roles of nurses.…”

“…However, the changes over time showed nonlinear patterns. The patterns fluctuated over time for both orientation and attitude, which is consistent with the study by Cowin and Johnson (2015). The results of their longitudinal study on the qualities of nurses also showed great fluctuations in changes over a period of four years.…”

Exploring the expectations of preceptors in graduate nurse transition; a qualitative interpretative study

“…However, the Australian study conducted by Cowin & Johnson (2015) identified graduate nursing qualities such as knowledge and respect for the profession declined in the graduate year. Qualities required in the transition time are not retained after the graduate year, highlighting the need for preceptor education and support to ensure longer term graduate transition.…”

Inadvertent sabotage: the novice nurse experience in caring for patients with a mental illness in medical-surgical settings

“…New graduate nurses are entering a challenging workforce, in a time where staffing shortages, increased patient acuity, and inadequacy of resource availability are commonplace (Schwartz et al, 2011;Scott, et al, 2008). Scott et al (2008) consider new graduate nurse recruitment and retention as essential for staffing and supporting the health care system; however, much of the literature cites new graduate nurse attrition as an issue (Boamah & Laschinger, 2016;Bowles & Candela, 2005;Cowin & Johnson, 2015;McCloughen & O'Brien, 2005;Parker et al, 2014;Zinsmeister & Schafer, 2009).…”