Entry into Nursing: An Ethnographic Study of Newly Qualified Nurses Taking on the Nursing Role in a Hospital Setting
The transition from student to working nurse has long been recognized as challenging. This paper presents the findings of research into the opportunities and limitations encountered by newly qualified nurses when taking on the nursing role. The study had an ethnographic design. Observation, intervie...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Nursing Research and Practice |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/690348 |
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| author | Mari Skancke Bjerknes Ida Torunn Bjørk |
| author_facet | Mari Skancke Bjerknes Ida Torunn Bjørk |
| author_sort | Mari Skancke Bjerknes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The transition from student to working nurse has long been recognized as challenging. This paper presents the findings of research into the opportunities and limitations encountered by newly qualified nurses when taking on the nursing role. The study had an ethnographic design. Observation, interviews, and document analysis were used to gain insight into nurses' daily work from the perspective of recently graduated nurses. Thirteen nurses were monitored closely during their first year in a hospital setting in Norway. These new nurses generally entered the field with empathy for their patients, enthusiasm for the profession, and readiness to learn more about being a good nurse. However, their more experienced colleagues seemed to neither respect nor nurture this attitude. The new nurses experienced heavier responsibilities than expected, fragmentation of patient care, and stressful interactions with colleagues. The lack of a supportive work environment and role models increased the new nurses' experience of overwhelming responsibility in their daily work situations. The nurses learned to cope the hard way, despite the organizational culture, not because of it. Adjusting the profession's expectations of new nurses, and offering good role models and more comprehensive support programmes, would markedly ease the transition for new nurses. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-070ce5a7d9de46719b8a2cc1bce49376 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-1429 2090-1437 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nursing Research and Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-070ce5a7d9de46719b8a2cc1bce493762025-02-03T01:10:07ZengWileyNursing Research and Practice2090-14292090-14372012-01-01201210.1155/2012/690348690348Entry into Nursing: An Ethnographic Study of Newly Qualified Nurses Taking on the Nursing Role in a Hospital SettingMari Skancke Bjerknes0Ida Torunn Bjørk1Faculty of Nursing, Oslo and Akershus University College, Pilestredet 52, N-0167 Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Nursing Science, University of Oslo, Postboks 1153, Blindern, 0318 Oslo, NorwayThe transition from student to working nurse has long been recognized as challenging. This paper presents the findings of research into the opportunities and limitations encountered by newly qualified nurses when taking on the nursing role. The study had an ethnographic design. Observation, interviews, and document analysis were used to gain insight into nurses' daily work from the perspective of recently graduated nurses. Thirteen nurses were monitored closely during their first year in a hospital setting in Norway. These new nurses generally entered the field with empathy for their patients, enthusiasm for the profession, and readiness to learn more about being a good nurse. However, their more experienced colleagues seemed to neither respect nor nurture this attitude. The new nurses experienced heavier responsibilities than expected, fragmentation of patient care, and stressful interactions with colleagues. The lack of a supportive work environment and role models increased the new nurses' experience of overwhelming responsibility in their daily work situations. The nurses learned to cope the hard way, despite the organizational culture, not because of it. Adjusting the profession's expectations of new nurses, and offering good role models and more comprehensive support programmes, would markedly ease the transition for new nurses.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/690348 |
| spellingShingle | Mari Skancke Bjerknes Ida Torunn Bjørk Entry into Nursing: An Ethnographic Study of Newly Qualified Nurses Taking on the Nursing Role in a Hospital Setting Nursing Research and Practice |
| title | Entry into Nursing: An Ethnographic Study of Newly Qualified Nurses Taking on the Nursing Role in a Hospital Setting |
| title_full | Entry into Nursing: An Ethnographic Study of Newly Qualified Nurses Taking on the Nursing Role in a Hospital Setting |
| title_fullStr | Entry into Nursing: An Ethnographic Study of Newly Qualified Nurses Taking on the Nursing Role in a Hospital Setting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Entry into Nursing: An Ethnographic Study of Newly Qualified Nurses Taking on the Nursing Role in a Hospital Setting |
| title_short | Entry into Nursing: An Ethnographic Study of Newly Qualified Nurses Taking on the Nursing Role in a Hospital Setting |
| title_sort | entry into nursing an ethnographic study of newly qualified nurses taking on the nursing role in a hospital setting |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/690348 |
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