The transition from nursing student to practicing nurse: An integrative review of transition to practice programs

Abstract

The transition from student to novice is a difficult time. Although the novice nurse is excited to start working, the nurse struggles with acclimating to a new role with new responsibilities and the need to reconcile disparities between what was taught in school and what is practiced in the real world. To lessen the impact of the transition experience, health care organizations have implemented transition-to-practice programs including orientations, preceptorships, and residencies. Despite these efforts, if the novice nurse does not find these programs helpful, there is still a risk that the transition experience will not conclude with successful results. This integrative review examined qualitative studies that explored the transition-to-practice experience of novice nurses who participated in a transition-to-practice program provided by their place of employment. Thirteen articles met the criteria for this integrative review; seven themes emerged from the commonalities in the studies: socialization, professional growth, feeling supported, transition challenges, reflections, transition shock, and feelings. Though the transition period includes unique experiences for each novice nurse, the common feelings and needs identified in these studies require nurse educators and the healthcare organizations to ensure that novice nurses are prepared and given the tools to successfully transition to professional nursing practice.