New graduates' perceptions of clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Clinical Practice
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• New graduate nurses often encounter significant challenges during their initial clinical orientation.
• Understanding the stressors and the role of social support is crucial for effective nurse transition programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the stresses experienced by graduate nurses during orientation.
• To examine the relationship between social support and these stresses.
• To explore the impact of social support on graduate nurses' clinical experience and confidence.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 35 graduate nurses completed validated questionnaires during their orientation period.
• The study utilized the modified Pagana Clinical Stress Questionnaire and a social support measure.
• Pearson correlation was employed to analyze the relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Graduate nurses reported a moderate level of stress, with common stressors including lack of experience, physician interactions, organizational difficulties, and new procedures.
• Despite stress, positive emotions were reported most frequently.
• No significant correlation was found between social support and overall stress levels.
• Social support showed significant positive correlations with clinical practice stimulation (r = .57, p = .001) and self-confidence development (r = .39, p = .029).

Conclusions:

• The initial orientation period presents moderate stress for new graduate nurses.
• Social support, while not directly mitigating stress, positively influences clinical stimulation and self-confidence.
• The role of the preceptor is highlighted as a key factor in supporting graduate nurses during orientation.