The strengths and weaknesses of transitional support programs for newly registered nurses

Abstract

Objective: The transition experiences of new graduate nurses from university to the workplace have not changed since the transfer of nurse education to the tertiary sector despite the implementation of transition support programs. This study aimed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of transition support programs for newly registered nurses.

Design: A qualitative descriptive design using face-to-face interviews was chosen. Theme extraction was used to analyse the data and quotes from the interviews were chosen to illustrate and support the themes.

Setting: The study was carried out in seven hospitals in area health services in and around Sydney, representing both small and large facilities with bed numbers ranging from 195 to 530.

Subjects: Nine newly graduated registered nurses and 13 experienced registered nurses participated in the study.

Main outcome measures: This was an evaluative study designed to gather data about established transition support programs for newly graduated nurses working in New South Wales.

Results: Three themes arose from the analysis; Programs operate in a clinical environment which results in unsupportive behaviour toward new graduate nurses; Nurse unit managers influence the experiences of new graduate nurses in their workplace; and, Transition support programs are provided to redress the perceived inadequacy of university preparation for registered nurses.

Conclusions: The support afforded and the experience gained by the new graduates was an obvious strength of the programs. Weaknesses of the programs included the times when new graduates worked without support and the unrealistically high expectation of what can reasonably be expected of newly registered nurses.