The interactionism among nursing educators, preceptors and newly graduate nurses related to role transition: An exploratory study

Background and objective: The role transition remains a barrier in the ability of nurses to adjust from the role of student to professional nurse where the interactive mentoring attributes portrayed by nurse educators and clinical preceptors that may influence the role transition of new graduate nurses has not been thoroughly assessed. This study was conducted to explore the interactive mentoring attributes of nursing educators and clinical preceptors that influence new graduate nurses’ ability to successfully adjust from the role of student to that of professional nurse.Methods: Convergent parallel mixed method of research was used in this study, where both quantitative and qualitative data were simultaneously collected, analyzed, merged, compared and interpreted. The quantitative data came from purposively sampled first batch graduates of Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Oman College of Health Sciences A.Y. 2017-2018 (N = 33;n = 27) through survey using researcher-made survey questionnaire in 5-point-Likert scale format based on the five attributes of beginning theory of Faculty Attributes for Confidence, Equilibrium, and Success (FACES) by Sparacino L. (2016). The qualitative exploration focused on the most significant influential interactive mentoring attributes of nursing educators and preceptors solicited through interview. Quantitative data were statistically treated and interpreted using percentage, weighted mean, t test and Pearson’s correlation. Qualitative data representing each participant’s point of view were analyzed using open coding, transcribed, analyzed, compared, and categorized.Results: Quantitative findings revealed that the respondents strongly agreed on the influential effect of interactive mentoring attributes portrayed by their preceptors in terms of professionalism while they agreed with their nursing educators (composite mean: 4.1; 3.9) respectively. Respondents also agreed with the influential effect of knowledge and experiences as well as in terms of care and rigor attributes. However, the t test values and correlation analysis showed no significant relationship (p > .05) between the profile of the respondents in terms of GPA and department with the interactive mentoring attributes portrayed by nursing educators and preceptors during role transition. Qualitatively, caring, rigor and professionalism were the significant interactive mentoring attributes of nursing educators and preceptors most influenced newly graduate nurses on their ability to successfully adjust from the role of student to that of professional nurse.Conclusion and recommendation: The interactive mentoring attributes portrayed by nursing educators and preceptors have a positive influential effects in transition process, although the respondents’ profile were not significantly related nor the relationship between the role portrayed by nursing educators and preceptors to role transition. Therefore, it is recommended to use these findings in curriculum revision and in the modification of clinical orientation or training policy.