Using nurse managers' perceptions to guide new graduates toward positive nurse relationships

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Organizational Behavior in Healthcare

Background:

• Transitioning to practice is challenging for new nursing graduates, particularly in establishing positive relationships with experienced nurses.
• Nursing faculty require authentic, practice-based insights to effectively prepare graduates for these interpersonal dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurse managers' perceptions of new graduates' relationships with experienced nurses.
• To identify factors influencing these relationships and inform nursing education strategies.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative, descriptive study design.
• Researcher-participant audiotaped interviews with 13 nurse managers.
• Content analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Nurse managers confirmed the significance of nurse-to-nurse relationships.
• Perceived inequities and stressful events were identified as triggers for poor relationships.
• New graduates were frequently targeted due to prolonged dependence or issues with confidence.
• Factors contributing to targeting included perceived inequities, stress, over-dependence, and graduate confidence levels.

Conclusions:

• Supportive environments and team-focused hiring practices can mitigate negative targeting of new graduates.
• Findings offer practice-based insights for nurse educators to improve teaching on relationship building.
• Addressing these dynamics is crucial for successful integration of new nurses into practice.