Impact of stress and coping strategies on insomnia among Polish novice nurses who are employed in their field while continuing their education: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesTo determine to what degree particular coping strategies mediate the association between stress and insomnia in novice nurses who are employed while continuing their education and how type of education moderate the relationships between workplace stress, coping strategies and insomnia.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire, which was completed by 159 novice registered nurses. The questionnaire comprised four components: Athens Insomnia Scale, Perceived Stress at Work (based on Perceived Stress Scale), Brief-Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced (COPE)and metrics with sociodemographic data questions.ResultsStress was found to be a significant predictor of insomnia among novice nurses. After adjusting the coping strategy, work stress ceased to be a significant predictor of insomnia. Among the strategies, the significant predictors that increased severity insomnia were acceptance, denial and self-blame. Predictors that decreased severity insomnia were use of emotional support and venting. Furthermore, the relationship between both active coping and self-distraction strategies and insomnia was significant for part-time students.ConclusionsInsomnia is significant phenomena among novice nurses and are exacerbated by increased stress in the workplace. Choosing appropriate coping strategies for stress that are dependent on the individuals’ activities significantly reduce the severity of insomnia caused by work stress.

A Profile of Novice and Senior Nurses’ Communication Patterns during the Transition to Practice Period: An Application of the Roter Interaction Analysis System

Novice nurses’ successful transition to practice is impacted by their interactions with senior nurses. Ensuring that novice nurses are adequately supported during their transition to practice has wide-ranging and significant implications. The aim of this study is to explore the communication patterns between novice and senior nurses by applying an interaction analysis technique. Trimonthly onboarding evaluations between novice and senior nurses were recorded. The Roter Interaction Analysis System was adapted and deployed to identify communication patterns. In total, twenty-two interactions were analyzed. Senior nurses spoke more (64.5%). Task-focused exchange was predominant amongst senior (79.7%) and novice (59.5%) nurses. Senior nurses’ talk was concentrated in clusters of information-giving (45%) and advice or instructions (17.2%), while emotional expression (1.4%) and social talk (0.4%) were rare. Novice nurses’ talk was concentrated in clusters-information giving (57%) and positive talk (39.5%). The communication patterns between senior and novice nurses during the onboarding period indicate aspects of novice nurse transition that could be addressed, such as encouraging novice nurses to use these interactions to communicate more, or emphasizing the importance of social talk. These insights can be used to inform mentorship and preceptorship training to ensure that senior nurses are able to adequately support novice nurses through all parts of the transition to practice period.

Senior nurses’ perceptions of essential soft skills for novice nurses in a private hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia: A phenomenological study

Background: Nursing jobs are very complex and stressful, and nurses are demanded to have high competency and soft skills to keep their performance. However, the nursing workload often leads to fatigue, and it will be very challenging for novice nurses. Therefore, they need to be trained in soft skills in order to be able to control their emotion and adapt to the situation. Unfortunately, studies on essential soft skills for novice nurses in Indonesia are scarce; further research on this topic is a necessity. Objective: This study aimed to explore the perception of senior nurses about the essential soft skills for novice nurses during their work adaptation process.Methods: This qualitative study used an interpretive phenomenology approach, which was conducted in a private hospital in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews from ten senior nurses selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed using Gadamer’s hermeneutic approach.Results: Nine essential soft skills were developed for novice nurses during their transition phase from education to practice, including self-control, initiative, caring, self-motivated, hospitality, flexibility, adaptability, analytical skill, and presentation skill. Conclusion: Findings of this study serve as a basis for developing the soft skills of novice nurses in their clinical practice in hospitals in Indonesia. It is also recommended that soft skills should be included in the nursing education curriculum. However, soft skills are essential for novice nurses to succeed in their adaptation and future career. Funding: This study was funded by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of Indonesia through the “Beginner Lecturer Research Grant”.