Case Study: Transition of Nursing Students to Practicing Professionals

This case study examines the transition of nursing or midwife students to practitioners, highlighting the challenges and required skills. The assignment analyzes the elements that inform the transition process, emphasizing the importance of managing both clinical and non-clinical skills. It discusses the need for confidence, effective communication, teamwork, and reflective practice to navigate the novice stage successfully. The study also addresses transition shock and the development of professional identity. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of clinical skills for patient assessment and ethical conduct, and non-clinical skills like communication, leadership, and teamwork. The author reflects on their own professional development and the application of learned skills, referencing professional standards. The conclusion reinforces the importance of continuous skill improvement and the ongoing nature of the transition from novice to expert in the field.

Running head: BEING A NURSING PRACTITIONER
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Being a Nursing Practitioner
Student’s Name
University

BEING A NURSING PRACTITIONER
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Introduction
The transition from a nursing or midwife student to a practitioner is the most challenging
part that students face. This requires high levels of confidence and the ability to believe in
transferring the knowledge they have covered in class to the real-life setting. Since practitioners
go through different stages, they need to develop relevant skills at each level that they pass
through (Duckett, Breadon, & Farmer, 2014). This essay analyses the transition case to
determine elements that inform transition, the importance of managing clinical and non-clinical
skills and a reflection on how I have developed relevant professional skills.
Elements that inform preparation for the transition
Preparation for transition is based on the ability of the practitioner to exhibit confidence
levels in the content covered. When entering the field of practice practitioners enter the field as
novice practitioners who rely solely on the content that they have covered. This means that they
are not allowed to make their own decisions but rather they are to learn from experts within the
field (Khan, Salahuddin, & Khan, 2014). This means that the physical environment will be
influenced by novice performance where learning is through experience and social interaction.
This means that the practitioner requires communication and interaction skills to be able to learn
as they are engaged in professional identity formation and role transition.
Further, the transition environment is characterized by learning through reflective
practice and reflective learning which means that the practitioner improves nursing or midwife
skills through positive supports from other practitioners and the level of confidence for learning
the requirements of the new role. Since the transition from a student to a novice can be
challenging, the practitioner has to exhibit generic professional skills like communication,
teamwork and relationship building (Duckett, Breadon, & Farmer, 2014). In the novice level, the

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practitioner learns from other experienced practitioners thus the need to ensure that they move
from an intense focus on themselves to become active members of the organization. Carola
(2013) adds that this process builds graduate confidence and increases identification of the
practitioner as a member of the organization. By having the ability to work on a team and
communicate effectively, the practitioner is able to function well at the novice level since this
stage of transition requires learning from the team. This leads to the development of professional
identity and professional self that is driven by the on-going experiences that one gains from the
field. This means that there is no time frame for moving from one stage to another since the
transition is an ongoing process driven by the experiences that people go the practitioners go
through.
Further, practitioners need to learn strategies for managing transition shock. The stages of
transition theory are based on moving from one stage to another in the practitioner’s life. This
means that the first 3-4 months involve adjusting from the class context to the field context
which creates the shock. This means that the practitioner lacks time to manage the tasks assigned
to them and managing the shock of new events within the professional field (Wilkinson, Rance,
& Fitzsimmons, 2017). The practitioner is required to manage the shock well without
compromising the intended work processes. Further, the ability to manage inadequacies and
inconsistencies needs to be improved to reduce the challenges that the practitioners face. Thus
the practitioner needs to balance between personal challenges and the professional life that they
are engaging in.
Importance of managing clinical and non-clinical skills
According to Higgins, Gallen, & Whiteman (2005) clinical skills form the basis of what
the practitioner does in the field of practice. In the field setting, practitioners need clinical skills

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to assess the role that the practitioner does in the field. This includes understanding how to assess
the situation of patients to make relevant clinical judgment skills. The practitioner needs clinical
skills for assessing the workplace and analyzing the state of patients. Since the practitioner is
transitioning from a student to a fulltime practitioner clinical skills are important in guiding the
way practitioners conduct themselves at the workplace. This includes applying professionalism
and following appropriate codes of ethics to meet the institutional requirements written
(Campbell, et al., 2015). Since the practitioners are licensed, it means that they are accountable
to their profession by exercising their skills to meet the needs of the organization. On the other
hand, non-clinical skills are important to practitioners since they guide their conduct with other
professionals and patients. These skills include communication, teamwork, quality improvement,
leadership, and professional evaluation. These skills boost the ability of the practitioner to meet
the requirements of the profession and progress from one stage to another.
Reflection
The transition from students to practitioners is a stage that challenges most practitioners.
As a practitioner, I have to develop proper competencies for managing clinical situations that I
will be engaged in. this means that I have to work on improving my clinical skills and aligning
them to the requirements of the novice level of nursing. At this level, I have to learn how to
relate professional knowledge with the clinical activities that I will be engaging so that I can be a
better practitioner. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has several standards that
practitioners are required to follow developed (Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia, 2018).
The first standard of the ability to think critically in clinical situations and the second standard of
communication skills for forming clinical and therapeutic relationships are important in the

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transition period. Through the different models that I have gained, I believe I have the ability to
carry out the requirements of the tasks that relate to transition.
Conclusion
Practitioners need to always work in improving their skills as they gain more experience
in the field of nursing and midwifery. Since there is no exact time frame that one spends in every
nursing stage, then the practitioner has to work hard and ensure that they gain the right skills
required for the profession. The skills are relevant in the transition process that the practitioner
goes through and how one advances from the novice stage to the expert stage where one would
have fully developed nursing or midwife skills required to meet the needs of the nursing field.

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References
Campbell, D., Shepherd, I., McGrail, M., Kassell, L., Connolly, M., Williams, B., & Nestel7, D.
(2015). Procedural skills practice and training needs of doctors, nurses, midwives and
paramedics in rural Victoria. Advanced Medical Education Practice, 6, 183-194.
Carolan, M. (2013). A good Midwife stands out: 3rd year midwifery students. Midwifery, 29(2),
115-121.
Duckett, S., Breadon, P., & Farmer, J. (2014). Unlocking skills in hospitals: Better jobs, more
care. Canberra: Grattan Institute.
Higgins, R., Gallen, D., & Whiteman, S. (2005). Meeting the non-clinical education and training
needs of new consultants. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 81, 519-523.
Khan, F., Salahuddin, S., & Khan, F. (2014). Importance of clinical skills exam: An opportunity
for allied healthcare students. American Journal of Clinical Researh, 1(3).
Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia. (2018). Professional standards. Retrieved from
Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia.
Wilkinson, W. M., Rance, J., & Fitzsimmons, D. (2017). Understanding the importance of
therapeutic relationships in the development of self-management behaviours during
cancer rehabilitation: a qualitative research protocol. BMJ Open, 7(1).