Involvement of Nurse Managers with Newly Graduated Nurses during the Early Stages of Employment

Abstract

The present study aimed to clarify the involvement of nurse managers with newly graduated nurses during the early stages of employment. Research participants comprised 12 female ward-based nursing managers (mean age, 49.6 years; mean length of experience as a nursing manager, 6.9 years) who consented to participate from 4 hospitals with at least 300 beds at which a support system for newly graduated nurses had been introduced. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were fragmented as data, which were then organized into simply labels and then into categories. The results revealed that nursing managers were constantly concerned about the job adjustment, interpersonal relationships, and the states of patient care and nursing skill acquisition of newly graduated nurses and gave consideration to maintaining work motivation. The following four categories of involvement of nurse managers with newly graduated nurses during the early stages of employment were identified: "paying attention to job adjustment", "assessing interactions with patients", "indirect involvement in nursing skill training" and "maintaining work motivation". The present findings confirmed that, while other staff members such as preceptors are often directly involved with newly graduated nurses, nurse managers serve a role in providing comprehensive support during the early stages of employment in regard to the workplace environment, interpersonal relations and the acquisition of nursing skills. Furthermore, the consideration of nursing managers toward the feelings of newly graduated nurses during the early stages of employment regarding the worthwhile nature and enjoyment of nursing and encouraging self-confidence is important.