The transition to first position as nurse practitioner

The nurse who graduates from a nurse practitioner program leaves a comfort zone of nursing practice to enter a new position where feelings of insecurity and stress are common. Because the role of the nurse practitioner (NP) continues to evolve and is influenced by many environmental issues, the preparation of the NP by the academic institution needs to be assessed on a frequent basis. The purpose of this research was to obtain a better understanding of the transitional phase to the first position as NP after graduation. The perceptions of preparation, gains, losses, barriers, facilitators, and strategies for adjustment were explored. A qualitative approach using focus groups was developed in which 21 recent NP graduates from a large university participated in one of four focus groups. Peer debriefing and participant verification were techniques used to ensure credibility and trustworthiness of the data and subsequent analysis. The themes identified were: loss of personal control of time and privacy; changes and losses in relationships; feelings of isolation and uncertainty in establishing the NP role; and a special bonding with clients. Although the participants perceived they were adequately prepared for their role, they also described feelings of guilt and uncertainty from not knowing information they believed they should know. They concluded that they functioned differently than the physician as well as other nurses and found it necessary to distance themselves from the role of other health care providers. This study has implications for colleagues, academic institutions, and the individual nurse practitioner.