New nurses sometimes find fitting into the new working environment very challenging. This period may be simultaneously characterized by happiness and joy, anxiety, stress, and frustrations. As they struggle to manage the anxiety of getting into the new workstation, employers are ever keen to establish if they can produce the intended results. Sometimes it becomes very difficult for them to immediately produce these results because they are yet to learn how things are done and have not yet adjusted to the new culture. As a result of the high expectations, anxiety, and fear of making mistakes, the new workers find themselves in a hard situation which may make their first moments in the facility very unfriendly. Despite all these, they are expected to have basic skills and attitudes associated with this profession and reveal their capacity to handle complex and dynamic healthcare challenges. This study explores the roles of new nurses and the expected skills, attributes, and knowledge. The issues and challenges of new nurses in the workplace and strategies for assisting them in transitioning to this new profession are also highlighted.
According to Powers et al. (2019), new nurses majorly play a central role in healthcare provision by supporting other healthcare workers in providing essential healthcare services. They are also given other primary roles, like providing instant medical care during times of emergency. In today’s complex healthcare environment, new nurses collaborate with other physicians and nurses to devise and provide individualized care plans to patients. They work under the guidance of chief nurses or preceptors to monitor the condition of the patients, assess their needs, interpret their symptoms, and provide the necessary care (Gysin et al., 2019). They assist the surgeons and other physicians as they undertake different procedures.
The nursing leaders expect new nurses to possess certain skills, knowledge, and attributes like willingness to jump in and assist whenever called upon, show the strength of character, ability to learn faster, show confidence in what they do, and manifest high levels of motivation. They may also desire these new hires to be critical thinkers with strong work ethics. The ability of these nurses to follow instructions carefully, communicate effectively, and show physical and mental endurance gratifies the nursing leader a lot (Labrague et al., 2020).
Nursing leaders say some new nurses lack essential skills, knowledge, and attributes. Some of these include physical and mental endurance. Some new nurses struggle to keep up with the huge workload and tedious duties. Others may take a long time to connect with the patients. This hinders their effectiveness. Nurse leaders also have a problem with new nurses who do not connect with other physicians, thereby frustrating teamwork spirit and outcomes. Inflexibility and poor time management are other issues that team leaders normally have with new nurses.
New nurses face challenges in new workstations, including information overload (Labrague et al., 2020). No matter how many years one spends schooling, one will always encounter new terminologies, techniques, technology, and cultures. Even after a comprehensive induction program, it is almost impossible for the new hires to come to terms with all terms and practices that take place in the workstation. Another challenge is waning confidence (Hawkins et al., 2019). One starts doubting his or her abilities due to exposure to new ways of doing things. Every working station has a unique culture. This culture dictates how people behave and how they work. The new practices may make the new hire feel as if they are not adequately prepared for the task ahead of them and lose confidence in their capabilities. Time management could be a serious challenge for new hires. The new job comes with new schedules and programs. The employee is also expected to adjust to the new roles. It may take some time before the worker is fully oriented to the new programs and the timings of the events. Getting along with coworkers is another issue with joiners (Hawkins et al., 2019). Some workers are not easy to get along with unless one gets to know them well. It becomes difficult to engage or share new ideas with them. This may develop a feeling of isolation in the workstation.
Some common strategies for supporting new nurses to transition to the profession include showing empathy when they face new challenges. Connecting with them and encouraging them helps them to get along easily. It also makes the working environment friendly and fun and, as a result, helps them give their best. Another key strategy involves being patient with them even when they make mistakes. The joiners make mistakes as they adjust to new cultures, technology, and practices (Powers et al., 2019). Being patient with them is very relieving. Praising them and helping them gain recognition after performing well encourages them to become better day after day.
In conclusion, workers sometimes find fitting into the new working environment very challenging. This period may be simultaneously characterized by happiness and joy, anxiety, stress, and frustrations. The confusion experienced may make the new worker appear to have a wrong choice for the new task, majorly because of their propensity to make some mistakes. Therefore, it is important for the peers and the senior workers to help them settle and get oriented to the new environment as quickly as possible. The management should also lower their expectations of what these workers can achieve in their first moments in the working environment. It is also important to prepare the other employees to accommodate the joiners most appropriately so that they can find their stay very convenient and to allow them to give their best.
References
Gysin, S., Sottas, B., Odermatt, M., & Essig, S. (2019). Advanced practice nurses and general practitioners’ first experiences introducing the advanced practice nurse role to Swiss primary care: a qualitative study. BMC family practice, 20, 1-11.
Hawkins, N., Jeong, S., & Smith, T. (2019). Coming ready or not? An integrative review examining new graduate nurses’ transition in acute care. International journal of nursing practice, 25(3), e12714.
Labrague, L. J., & De los Santos, J. A. A. (2020). Transition shock and newly graduated nurses’ job outcomes and select patient outcomes: A cross‐sectional study. Journal of nursing management, 28(5), 1070-1079.
Powers, K., Herron, E. K., & Pagel, J. (2019). Nurse preceptor role in new graduate nurses’ transition to practice. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 38(3), 131-136.
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