Experiences of Registered Nurses in the Transition to Healthcare Professionals: A Study from Military and Civilian Hospitals in Saudi Arabia

Majid M Aldaihani ,Mohammad Alrashidi ,Ali Hassan Alhaiti

doi:10.7176/jbah/11-6-03

Abstract

Registered nurses (RNs) often experience substantial job dissatisfaction and stress during the transition from a student to a healthcare professional. However, multicenter studies in this area are limited, and little is known whether the transition experience of RNs in a military hospital (MH) is different from that in civilian hospitals (CH). This study presents a multicenter survey on the transition experiences of RNs and compares of transition experiences of RNs in CH and MH. A multicenter survey was conducted in military and civilian hospitals in Saudi Arabia, using a modified version of the validated Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey. In the survey, 278 RNs participated. Of these, 71.2%were under 25 years of age, and 56% were women. Approximately 36% of the respondents were from MH. A majority of RNs (89.9%) cited fears related to patients' safety as a difficulty in the successful transition. When compared with RNs from CH, a higher number of RNs from MH believed that improved orientation could be a support in transition (OR: 2.05, 95% CI 1.23-3.43, P=0.008); conversely, a significantly lower number of respondents from MH believed that an improved work environment could be a support in transition (OR: 0.30, 95%CI 0.16-0.55, P=0.001). Most RNs consider their fear for patients’ safety as a difficult aspect of their transition experience. RNs in MH and CH have a different perception of the least satisfying aspect of their job. Keywords: Transition experience, nurses, orientation, and work environment DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-6-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2021

Highlights

The transition of nurses from a student to a healthcare professional presents several challenges(Chick, Afaf, & Meleis, 1985; Kumaran & Carney, 2014)
This study indicated that preceptors play a key role in the transition, and the sense of accomplishment in registered nurses (RNs) is important for the successful transition
This term denotes the possible mismatch between the expectations that nurses had as a student and the reality they faced in nursing practice at a hospital, covering various aspects related to human psychology, functional competence, financial constraints, and interpersonal relations(Bakon et al, 2018; Davey, 2002; Duchscher, 2008; Pennington & Driscoll, 2019; Stulz, Francis, Pathrose, Sheehan, & Drayton, 2021)

Summary

Introduction

The transition of nurses from a student to a healthcare professional presents several challenges(Chick, Afaf, & Meleis, 1985; Kumaran & Carney, 2014). The transition process from a student to a healthcare professional is multidimensional and is expected to induce some degree of stress as it generally involves (re)adjustments, unanticipated challenges(Adler & Castro, 2019), and new interactions. In the context of the difficulties observed during nurses' transition, the term "reality shock" is generally used(Graf et al, 2020; Sargis & Kramer, 1975) This term denotes the possible mismatch between the expectations that nurses had as a student and the reality they faced in nursing practice at a hospital, covering various aspects related to human psychology, functional competence, financial constraints, and interpersonal relations(Bakon et al, 2018; Davey, 2002; Duchscher, 2008; Pennington & Driscoll, 2019; Stulz, Francis, Pathrose, Sheehan, & Drayton, 2021)

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