Differences Between Recognition of Reality Shocks by New Graduate Nurses and those Perceived by their Preceptors

Abstract

In this study, the difference between recognition of reality shocks experienced by new graduate nurses and that perceived by their preceptors are examined. The subjects were 408 preceptors and 408 new graduate nurses who graduated from nursing school in 2004 and were working for 24 general hospitals with 500 beds or more in the Tohoku region. The result shows that they also perceived that the new graduate nurses' reality shocks are affected by the kind of hospital wards to which they are assigned, the complexity of the specialty they deal with, and how much they wish to leave their job. The new graduate nurses perceived their reality shocks about "practical nursing abilities," "physical factors" and "psychological factors" higher than their preceptors did. On the other hand, the preceptors perceived the new graduate nurses' reality shocks about "human relations in the work place," "business and condition in the work place," "challenges and enjoyment in the job," "sense of responsibility for the occupation," and "responses to patient deaths" higher than the new graduate nurses did.