New graduate nurses' satisfaction, adaptation and intention to leave in their first year: A descriptive study

To determine the factors affecting the professional and institutional satisfaction of new graduate nurses in their first year of work, their adaptation process and their intentions of leaving the nursing profession.

The number of new graduates has been increasing in the global labour force, yet a significant proportion of them have left their profession. The first year in the nursing profession is particularly stressful and challenging for new graduate nurses.

The study was conducted at four hospitals with 428 new graduate nurses who were in the first years of their careers.

The nurses' mean score, out of ten, was 5.52 points for job satisfaction and 5.16 points for satisfaction with their institution. Of them, 47.7% had difficulties adapting to nursing, and 53.5% had issues adapting to their jobs. Of them, 42.5% had considered leaving nursing, and 50.9% planned to leave their institutions.

New graduates that perceive high workload, poor communication with patients and families or team members or inadequate skills and knowledge are more likely to consider turnover or leaving the profession.

New graduates suggested that better cooperation and teamwork, participation in decisions, consideration of requests for placement in a specific department, fair distribution of duties and shifts and in-unit professional development opportunities would all improve the work environment and decrease risk of turnover.