Assessing the New Graduate Nurses' Job Experiences during Transition Period in Teaching Centers and affiliated Hospitals of Tabriz Medical Sciences University, 2002.

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: The process of transition from student to qualified nurse has long been recognized as stressful experience. Exposure to schedules, institutional rules, and job responsibilities produce considerable stress and anxiety in the new graduates. During education course, nursing students familiar with good professional values. Unfortunately after graduation, they quickly find that, many of this values aren't enforceable in the work setting and not considered them. Furthermore, there isn’t congruity between what learned in education course and expected skills of them. They haven't essential skills in meeting the work force expectations. As a result, reality shock occur and high level of stress is experienced that if leave unresolved, may lead to burnout, job dissatisfaction, and increase probabilities of leaving the profession. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize effects of transition process on the new graduate nurses, their stressful experiences, as well, condition of present educational and supportive programs during this period, so that, nursing executive and managers conduct essential planning's to decrease new graduates stress and their retention in clinical centers. Methodology: This survey is a descriptive study in which, job experiences of new graduate nurses during transition period has been assessed. The data were collected by using a questionnaire including 4 section. A five point Likert scale was used to determine the rate of response to each item. Target population consisted of all o new graduates placed at the end of first six month of work. The sample size was as population and consist of 200 peoples and census was used in sampling method. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistic (frequency, percent, mean, std-error) and analytic statistic (Pearson correlation, independent sample t -test). Results: the finding of this study indicated that many of new graduates had undesirable emotional and supportive experience as well, high level of individual, managerial and caring stressful experiences. In relation to emotional experiences, many subjects had high level of anxiety and inadequacy. In addition, need to new skills, incongruity between condition of work setting and what learned in education course, not implementation of orientation programs in the first job and finally, working with critically ill and dying patients, identified as highest stressful events. Also supportive appropriate behaviors and interactions of nursing managers, and efforts of coworkers to increase knowledge base and clinical skills of new graduate recognized as lowest supportive experiences. Discussion & Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that many of new graduates has high level of stress during transition period and don’t receive enough support and education. Therefore, efforts of nursing schedulers in order to proper implementation of internship programs at the end year nursing student accordance with culture and science ministry's codified programs, increase coordination between nursing education and service, use of professional standards in providing cares in clinical centers. Implementation of orientation programs in the first work of new graduates and enough support of them are necessary efforts in their clinical skill development.