Becoming a primary care nurse practitioner: challenges of the initial year of practice

The transition from student to primary care practitioner is exciting and challenging and offers seemingly limitless opportunities. This article presents results of a model generated from a longitudinal study of 35 newly graduated primary care nurse practitioners during their first year of practice. Stages of development include laying the foundation (recuperating from school, negotiating the bureaucracy, looking for a Job, and worrying); launching (feeling real, getting through the day, battling time, and confronting anxiety); meeting the challenge (increasing competence, gaining confidence, and acknowledging system problems); and broadening the perspective (developing system savvy, affirming oneself, and upping the ante). Anticipatory guidance is offered for new graduates and their mentors and colleagues. Mentors can provide crucial information about appropriate expectations and create key structures to facilitate new practitioners' needs for consultation and advice.