Nurse education and professional work: transition problems?

The purpose of this study was to investigate the transition from a 3-year nursing programme to a professional role as a nurse. Eight subjects kept diaries during 2 months. Data were recorded in a notebook and categorization of data was based on interpretation by two independent persons. Results are presented in relation to the different categories which became evident from the diaries. A common problem for newly registered nurses was the management of paperwork. The more administrative work the nurses had, the less time they were able to spend on patient-oriented activities. Generally, the nurses felt uncertain about care of patients with serious illnesses. All the nurses experienced a high workload and also reported difficulties in feeling relaxed during their off-duty time. Additional difficulties encountered included knowing the kind of tasks they were able to delegate to assistant nurses, and deciding on when it would be appropriate to call for a physician. Further research is needed to provide a better understanding of the relevance of nurse education for the management of the work situations encountered by newly registered nurses.