New Graduate Nurses Navigating Entry to Practice in the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted organizational life for nurses, with known physical and psychological impacts. New graduate nurses are a subset of nurses with unique needs and challenges as they transition into their registered nurse roles. However, this subset of nurses has yet to be explored in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Purpose To explore the experiences of new graduate nurses entering the profession in Ontario, Canada, during the Covid-19 pandemic approximately one year after entering the profession. Methods Thorne's interpretive description method was utilized. Findings All participants identified as completing second entry nursing programs, offering a unique perspective on new graduate nurse transition. Four themes emerged in the data: ‘ Virtual Didn’t Cut It,’ ‘Go Where You Know,’ ‘Picking Up the Pieces,’ and ‘Learning When to Say No and Let Go.’ Participants felt ill prepared to enter the profession and were cognizant of the various challenges facing the nursing profession, and how these pre-existing challenges were exacerbated by the pandemic. They acknowledged the need to protect themselves against burnout and poor mental health, and as such, made calculated early career decisions – demonstrating strong socio-political knowing. Half of the participants had already left their first nursing job; citing unmet orientation, mental health, and wellbeing needs. However, all participants were steadfast in remaining in the nursing profession. Conclusions Second entry new graduate nurses remain a unique subset of nurses that require more scholarly attention as their transition experiences may differ from the traditional trajectory of new graduate nurses.

Experiences of new nurses in the United States during the acute phase of the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…The responses of participants in our study were also similar to those reported by McMillan et al. (2023).…”

“…The pandemic resulted in many new nurse orientations being cut short, decreased educational opportunities in their workplaces, and limited employment opportunities (Jerome-D' Emilia et al, 2022;Kovancı & Özbaş, 2022). The responses of participants in our study were also similar to those reported by McMillan et al (2023).…”

Measuring the PULSE of Nursing

“…Workplace wellness and support are key components of nurses' intention to stay at an organization 30 ; this is particularly true with novice nurses. 31 According to a recent Cochrane review exploring how nurse staffing models impact outcomes, most nurse outcome data came from observational rather than interventional studies, which limits the conclusive strength of their findings. 32 In addition, the authors commented on the heterogeneity of metrics across study settings.…”

Newly graduated nurses' commitment to the nursing profession and their workplace during their first year of employment: A focused ethnography

“…Newly graduated nurses often experience a problematic developmental lag when entering the workforce in terms of functioning autonomously in caring for patients, as well as a lack of support from experienced nurses to accommodate their needs for skill development (e.g. clinical leadership, patient assessment, coping with emotional distress) (Kaldal et al, 2023a; Rush et al, 2019; McMillan et al, 2023). Newly graduated nurses are also working in increasingly complex and rapidly changing care environments, characterized by increasing patient acuity, high patient turnover, technological advancements and demanding workloads (Hallaran et al, 2023; Hussein et al, 2017).…”

“…However, newly graduated nurses who feel less committed to the organization they work for are less motivated to pursue opportunities for professional development and growth (Zhai et al, 2023). Similarly, a lack of supportive educational environments and resources is also shown to adversely impact newly graduated nurses' commitment (McMillan et al, 2023; Rush et al, 2019). Supporting newly graduated nurses in developing and maintaining a strong commitment to being a nurse and to stay in their workplace, therefore, has the potential to promote high‐quality patient care and positive patient outcomes.…”