Assessment of Graduate Nurses Entry Level Competencies: Expectations of Faculty Members versus Nurse Managers

Abstract

Graduate nurses entering the practice setting are faced with stressful challenges. Identifying stakeholders' and faculty members practice expectations for entry level graduate nurses will assist academic nursing educators in creating a reality based educational programs that lead to successful transition of graduate nurses. Health care systems depend on the knowledge and skills of nurses to render expert care to patients. As members of multidisciplinary teams of clinicians, nurses are expected to demonstrate competency in nursing care. When nursing students graduate and become employees of the health care industry, they are recognized as key participants because of their critical function as competent caregivers in the delivery of safe patient care. The aim of this study is to compare and describe nurse managers' and faculty members practice expectations for entry level graduate bachelor degree nurses at Qassim University. Study design and sample: Comparative exploratory study will be used. A purposive sample of all faculty members (30) will be included; nurse managers' (64) from training hospitals of students of college of Nursing Qassim University (King Saud Hospital, King Fahd Hospital, and maternal and child hospital, Prince Sultan Cardiac Care, Burdiah Center Hospital will be included. Tools of data collection: First: Demographic data of faculty members and stakeholders. Second: Entry level graduate bachelor degree nurses scale will be used. It consist of three parts Graduate Nurse Skills, Attributes, Characteristics (SACs); Perceptions of the Graduate Nurse & Expectations of the Graduate Nurse. The findings of this study revealed that the most important skills for new graduate nurses, as rated by nurse preceptors and nurse managers & faculty members. The findings also indicated that statistically significant strong positive correlation between specific skills, attributes and characteristics of Nursing Practice in Graduate Nurse among the study groups. The main conclusion from the current study pointed out stakeholders' and faculty members practice expectations for entry level graduate nurses will assist academic nursing educators in creating a reality based educational programs that lead to successful transition of graduate nurses.