Literature review: “Are you ok there?” The socialisation of student and graduate nurses: do we have it right?

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of the current socialisation processes for student and graduate nurses, into the clinical practice setting. Setting: The clinical nursing environment, with underlying links and reference to the academic setting of nurse education. Subjects: The sole focal subjects of this literature review are student/undergraduate and graduate/new nurses. Primary argument: Internationally, attrition rates of new graduate nurses in their first year of practice ranges between 30-60%. Undergraduate and new nurses enter the nursing profession with a beginning skill set, reflective of their education, coupled with preceded values and ideas about the profession itself. Recognition of an adjustment period undergraduate and new nurses require, is paramount to meeting the anticipated socialisation of these new professionals. Socialisation in the profession of nursing is an ongoing and complex interactive process by which the professional role, incorporating skills, knowledge, and behaviours, is learned and the individual consciously andsubconsciously seeks their sense of occupational identity, and perfecting this process is crucial. Conclusion: Newcomers to the nursing profession have expressed that learning how to behave appropriately in the workplace is more difficult than bridging the gap between theory and practice. Intentional measures implemented by organisations, is paramount in enabling newcomers to adjust to the workplace, and it is unsafe to assume the process of socialisation is good, and underestimation of this socialisation process, would be negligent.