Being a Professional Nurse: Challenges and Strategies for Transitioning from Graduate Nurse to Registered Nurse

This article discusses the challenges and strategies for transitioning from a graduate nurse to a registered nurse. It covers the need for support, education, and training for new nurses, as well as the importance of mentorship and retention strategies. The Dreyfus model of skill acquisition is also discussed as a way to enhance clinical and non-clinical skills.

Running head: BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
Introduction
There is a lot of challenges that a new graduate nurse had to face while going through the
transition from graduates to a registered nurse. This change is personal and professional that
changes the complete aspect of practice (Johnson, Cowin, Wilson& Young, 2012). Therefore, it
is the responsibility of healthcare facilities to determine that this transition is smooth and
synchronized. This is because, the modern healthcare system requires healthcare professionals
who are able to think critically in every situation and apply their best knowledge to save every
life (Wu, Fox, Stokes& Adam, 2012). Further, these expectations are increasing due to advanced
technological changes, increased consumerism and shrinking reimbursements. This leads to an
advanced level of challenges such as increased number of patients, different critical patient
situations due to which nurses might feel stressed and burnout during such transition (Parker,
Giles, Lantry& McMillan, 2014, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2018). As a
registered nurse, who is facing such transition from graduate nurse to a working facility, I will be
reflecting upon the needs and challenges of this transition by reflecting upon my strengths and
weaknesses I discovered during this phase. Further, the type of resources I used, the strategies
and factors that influence such transition and the resources available that facilitated the transition
will be demonstrated in this assignment.
Critical analysis
Starting professional life as a registered nurse is much stressful and hectic as fresh
graduates are not able to believe in themselves and require support and help in every step of their
professional life. Many researchers conducted research studies to understand the need and
requirement of such fresh graduate nurses who are going through such a transition in their

2BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
professional life. As per the systematic review conducted by Rush et al. (2013), the aim of the
research was to identify the best practice, need and requirements of new graduate nurses,
working in healthcare facilities so that their support and development could be addressed. This
integrative review study conducted a review based on four aspects such as competency, critical
thinking, education and support and found that in the first few months of the practice these fresh
graduates require an internship, mentorship of educational sessions regarding the practices
conducted in the healthcare facility (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2018). I also
witnessed the similar thing while joining healthcare facility as I was unable to understand the
functions and procedures that were being conducted in the healthcare facility. This situation
invoked several feelings which affected my practice and efficiency of work. As per Thomas,
Bertramand Allen (2012), the feelings are associated with the frustration of being overwhelmed
with the pressure, fear of insufficient knowledge, orientation process and preceptors. These
feelings can affect the nurses by making hem quit their professional life therefore, it is important
for the healthcare facilities to conduct different retention strategies so that such fresh and skilful
registered nurses could be employed in the healthcare facility (Nursing and Midwifery Board of
Australia, 2018).
Van den Heide et al. (2013) mentions the need for retention of fresh graduate nurses in
the healthcare facility and provides several strategies which could be used in the practical
scenario. As per the researchers Phillips, Kenny, Esterman and Smith (2014), analyzing the
hospital environment is the first strategy for nursing retention as during the first few months of
nursing transition it is important to provide them appropriate nursing education and orientation
so that they can understand the best practices of the healthcare facility. Further, the second
strategy was associated with the assistance of experienced nurses as they will be able to provide

3BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
proper guidance to such fresh graduate nurses about the practice carried out in the healthcare
facility 9 Aiken et al., 2013). This exact concept was mentioned in the case study as during the
first few months of employment, the fresh graduate nurses are provided with the guidance of
experienced nurses and they are asked to join the care process as per their own confidence.
Therefore, the concepts and strategies in the case study are supported by the research articles
mentioned in this critical analysis (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2018).
Discussion
While analyzing the topic, it should be mentioned that there are several strategies and
theoretical perspectives using which the clinical and non-clinical skills of graduate nurses
transitioning to registered nurses could be enhanced (Hall-Ellis&Grealy, 2013). As the nursing
professionals join the healthcare facility after completing their educational period, their practical
knowledge of the professional workforce is very minimal (Nursing and Midwifery Board of
Australia, 2018). In this situation, they require detailed knowledge of using that theoretical
knowledge in a practical scenario to increase their health care credibility. Further, as per
researchers Lyon (2015), using Dreyfus model of skill acquisition could be used in the
educational and training sessions so that skills related to practical process could be imposed in
the graduate nurses transitioning in registered nurse in the healthcare facility (Nursing and
Midwifery Board of Australia, 2018). This model is an approach which is used in the practice
which could be used in training and learning sessions so that learners can acquire formal
instructions and practices which are used in the training process. Besides these, the researchers
Ramsburgand Childress (2012) also mentioned that if such theoretical learning, is fused with the

4BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
simulated learning the learners will be able to meet the professional requirements which are
required for the successful transition from graduate nursing to registered nursing professional.
However, the knowledge of simulation nursing is different from that of the professional and real
scenario and hence, the assistance of experienced nursing professional and guidance while
conducting the critical healthcare practices are important (Lyon, 2015). Hence, with theoretical
knowledge, it is important to combine several strategies such as Dreyfus model of skill
acquisition so that critical and practical skills used in general practice of the healthcare facility
could be understood by the fresh nursing professionals (Phillips, Kenny, Esterman & Smith,
2014). This model of skill acquisition is divided in four aspects such as, recollection, recognition,
decision and awareness depending on which the professionals are categorized as novice,
competent, proficiency, expert and mastery (Dreyfus, 2014). This categorization helps to create a
competitive environment within the healthcare facility for the learning of new registered nurses
however, they are unable to utilize their intuitions which is important to have for critical thinking
and analysis for any situation (Van den Heede et al., 2013). Therefore, the model of Dreyfus was
criticized by Gobet and Chassy who provided the skill acquisition model inclusive of intuition so
that while attaining expertize in healthcare related practice the professionals can use their
intuition for critical analysis of any situation (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2018).
Therefore, through this detailed analysis about driving factors and strategies of a successful
transition from graduate nurse to registered nurse (Dreyfus model) and the combination of
theoretical and practical knowledge, it was determined that such influences are important to
attain the successful transition (Hall-Ellis&Grealy, 2013).

5BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
Reflection
As a graduate nurse, I also had to go through this transition in which I suffered from
several negative thoughts that affected my ability to cope up with the new environment of
professional life. Feelings like self-doubt, low self-esteemed and low confidence affected by
critical thinking, application of theoretical knowledge and its application in a practical scenario.
However, I was aware of the approach that if I was provided with an opportunity to assist one
experienced registered nurse, I will be able to understand all the basic and critical nuances of
care procedure in the real professional scenario and my confidence and knowledge will be
reinforced. Further, the educational session that was arranged for our training purpose was based
on the Dreyfus management skill acquisition strategy that enhanced my ability to critically think
and apply my theoretical knowledge in crucial healthcare situations. Moreover, the training
session helped me to gain my confidence back as I started doing activities I was sure about and
slowly gained knowledge and confidence in doing critical care as well. Therefore, the
educational training, mentorship and support, as well as skill acquisition approach, was helpful in
reinforcing the knowledge of theoretical knowledge in a practical situation. This entire situation
was in my last placement where I was unaware of the healthcare process and strategies of the
healthcare facility and I was not provided with any such training on my first day of functioning.
However, the above-mentioned strategies and events influenced me to receive the required skills
and knowledge that helped me with proper skills for maintaining critical situations in a
healthcare facility.
Conclusion
The transition from graduate nursing students to professional registered nurses is an
important and crucial situation for all the nursing professionals going through such transition as

6BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
they did not have any prior knowledge about the care process and strategies followed in such
professional scenario. Hence, they require support, and educational training within these
facilities so that retention and enhancement of their knowledge related to the care process can be
increased. This reflective assignment discussed the concerns and issues of such professionals
going through the transitional phase and mentioned the strategies and procedures that several
researchers followed to reinforce the best known within such professionals to make their
transition to registered nurse smooth and effective. Further, I also reflected on my experience of
going through such transition and mentioned the strategies and processes that influenced me to
improve my state and knowledge within the healthcare facility to understand the core process
properly.

7BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
References
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