Judy E. Boychuk Duchscher

Transition shock: the initial stage of role adaptation for newly graduated registered nurses.

AIM The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical framework of the initial role transition for newly graduated nurses to assist managers, educators and seasoned practitioners to support and facilitate this professional adjustment appropriately. BACKGROUND The theory of Transition Shock presented here builds on Kramers work by outlining how the contemporary new graduate engaging in a professional practice role for the first time is confronted with a broad range and scope of physical, intellectual, emotional, developmental and sociocultural changes that are expressions of, and mitigating factors within the experience of transition. DATA SOURCES This paper offers cumulative knowledge gained from a programme of research spanning the last 10 years and four qualitative studies on new graduate transition. DISCUSSION New nurses often identify their initial professional adjustment in terms of the feelings of anxiety, insecurity, inadequacy and instability it produces. The Transition Shock theory offered focuses on the aspects of the new graduates roles, responsibilities, relationship and knowledge that both mediate the intensity and duration of the transition experience and qualify the early stage of professional role transition for the new nursing graduate. CONCLUSION Transition shock reinforces the need for preparatory theory about role transition for senior nursing students and the critical importance of bridging undergraduate educational curricula with escalating workplace expectations. The goal of such knowledge is the successful integration of new nursing professionals into the stressful and highly dynamic context of professional practice.

Multigenerational nurses in the workplace

The nursing profession now contains 4 generational groups with divergent approaches to work (Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and Millennials). Potential misunderstandings regarding generational values and work ethics can contribute to conflict in the nursing workplace, particularly for the new nurse graduate. An understanding of the issues inherent in a multigenerational workforce can shed light on potential areas of conflict, as well as provide new directions for recruitment and retention strategies. The topics of nursing leadership, mentoring, and career development are addressed from the perspective of a multigenerational nursing workforce.

Critical thinking: perceptions of newly graduated female baccalaureate nurses.

Nursing education strives to develop critical thinking through emphasis on process, inquiry, and reasoning. Although North American nursing education programs have recommended integrating the critical thinking construct into the conceptual framework that supports undergraduate nursing programs, critical thinking is still ambiguously and inconsistently applied within the profession. The research described in this article explored the development of thinking in five newly graduated baccalaureate RNs by accompanying them on the conceptual, theoretical, and practical evolutionary journey of their first 6 months in nursing practice and explicating their knowledge development over time, offering insights into the role of undergraduate education in teaching, and fostering critical thinking as an approach to nursing practice.