Practice readiness of new nursing graduates: A concept analysis.

Abstract

Practice readiness is not well defined in the literature and its conceptualization fluctuates from one practice setting to the next. The lack of common perception of what it means to be "practice ready" across sectors (academia, practice, regulatory) creates difficulty in identifying the boundaries of the concept and promotes varying expectations. This paper reports a concept analysis on practice readiness using Rodgers' evolutionary method of concept analysis. Through searching CINAHL, PubMed, EBM Systematic Reviews, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, fifteen records were found and included in the analysis. Prominent surrogate terms included job readiness and readiness for practice while related terms included transition to practice and entry into the workplace. Attributes of practice readiness focused on cognitive, professional, and clinical capabilities, as well as self-efficacy. While antecedents comprised of maturity, clinical practice experience, and socialization to the discipline; consequences encompassed provision of safe care, performance confidence, and transitioning into the nursing role. This analysis highlights the technicalities of the nursing role pertaining to practice readiness, but overlooks the humanistic characteristics essential for providing quality care. There is a need for further development of the concept through intersectoral collaboration and exploration of humanistic characteristics as they relate to practice readiness.