Temporal Exploration of New Nurses' Field Adaptation Using Text Network Analysis

This study aimed to analyze the experiences of new nurses during their first year of hospital employment to gather data for the development of an evidence-based new nurse residency program focused on adaptability.

This study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Korea between March and August 2021 with 80 new nurses who wrote in critical reflective journals during their first year of work. NetMiner 4.5.0 was used to conduct a text network analysis of the critical reflective journals to uncover core keywords and topics across three periods.

In the journals, over time, degree centrality emerged as "study" and "patient understanding" for 1 to 3 months, "insufficient" and "stress" for 4 to 6 months, and "handover" and "preparation" for 7 to 12 months. Major sub-themes at 1 to 3 months were: "rounds," "intravenous-cannulation," "medical device," and "patient understanding"; at 4 to 6 months they were "admission," "discharge," "oxygen therapy," and "disease"; and at 7 to 12 months they were "burden," "independence," and "solution."

These results provide valuable insights into the challenges and experiences encountered by new nurses during different stages of their field adaptation process. This information may highlight the best nurse leadership methods for improving institutional education and supporting new nurses' transitions to the hospital work environment.