ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the rate of nurses leaving practice, which has highlighted the importance of new graduate nurse orientation. The literature has limited recommendations for orientation strategies. METHOD: The goal of this study was to determine what changes have occurred in orientation processes for new graduate nurses since the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey of nurse leaders was used to examine changes and opportunities. RESULTS: Leaders are more intentional with orientation processes, including frequent check-ins and increased discussion of time management, difficult conversations, and workplace violence. Individualized orientation plans are used, along with a stronger focus on nurse wellness. CONCLUSION: Recommendations include continuing support after orientation is completed and partnering with academia to provide content on stress management and wellness. Innovative and cost-effective transition to practice programs are needed to meet the needs of new nurses. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(7):345-350.].
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Inservice Training , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , COVID-19/nursing , COVID-19/epidemiology , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Inservice Training/organization & administration , Follow-Up Studies , Pandemics , Nursing Staff, Hospital/education , Surveys and Questionnaires , Education, Nursing, Continuing/organization & administrationABSTRACT
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, newly graduating nurses have entered into rapidly changing clinical environments, experiencing healthcare in a manner for which they were not fully prepared. The purpose of this study is to describe the lived experience of these newly graduated registered nurses (RNs) who transitioned to practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to gain understanding of how to better prepare future graduates for similar situations. A multisite qualitative phenomenological design was used in this study of 12 frontline nurses that graduated in the spring of 2020 and transitioned into their new role as RNs. A trained research team conducted semistructured interviews and completed a thematic analysis of the data. The results were six themes that emerged from the study participants' interviews: (1) fear, (2) emotional conflict, (3) self-doubt, (4) alone, (5) communication barriers, and (6) finding the positive.
