Transitioning to Independent Nursing Practice during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Study

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to onboard and support new graduate nurses (NGNs). This study sought to explore the perceptions of nurses entering clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using mixed methods, we investigated the experiences of NGNs entering the field during the pan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWestern journal of nursing research Vol. 45; no. 5; p. 432
Main Authors Blanco, Keli, Ely, Elizabeth, DeAlmeida, Katelyn, Bohr, Nicole L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.05.2023
Subjects
Adaptation, Psychological
COVID-19
Focus Groups
Humans
Nurses
Pandemics
COVID-19
program development
burnout
nurses
mentors
professional
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Summary:The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to onboard and support new graduate nurses (NGNs). This study sought to explore the perceptions of nurses entering clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using mixed methods, we investigated the experiences of NGNs entering the field during the pandemic and how a nurse residency program (NRP) adapted to meet their needs. Newly graduated nurses entering practice in November 2019 described their transition through nurse experience surveys and focus group discussions. Results from the quantitative data reported on compassion satisfaction, burnout, and exposure to secondary traumatic stress. The qualitative data mirrored these findings with the discovery of the following five themes: transitioning through an NRP, impact to nursing care, value of coworkers, coping, and professional growth. These findings illustrate the need to better support future practice transitions in times of disruption and change.
ISSN:1552-8456
DOI:10.1177/01939459221144178