Influence of Sleep Characteristic Changes on Nurses’ Quality of Life during Their Transition to Practice: A Prospective Cohort Study

Aim: To explore the effect of changes in sleep characteristics on changes in quality of life during the transition period of new graduate nurses. Background: Sleep problems among nurses are associated with negative physical and psychological consequences. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Participants included 88 newly graduated nurses. Data were collected twice, prior to shift work and after 4 months of working as a nurse, via online structured self-report questionnaires created using Survey Monkey from March 2018 to February 2020. A generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the influence of changes in sleep characteristics on quality of life. Results: A generalized linear mixed model showed that changes in the subjective quality of sleep, subjective health perception, and daytime dysfunction influenced quality of life changes during the transition. This implies that deterioration already existed. From their undergraduate period to four months after they began working as nurses, a significant decrease was observed in the quality of sleep. Participants’ quality of life significantly decreased. Conclusions: Changes in the quality of life of new graduate nurses may show deterioration with a significant drop in subjective sleep quality. Institutions should improve existing work adaptation programs provided during new graduate nurses’ transition to practice by including information on changes in nurses’ health caused by changes in sleep characteristics and sleep quality.

The Time Is Now: A Plan to Redesign Family Medicine Residency Education

A new graduate medical education program in family medicine is urgently needed now. We propose an innovative plan to develop community-based, community-owned family medicine residency programs. The plan is founded on five guiding principles in which residencies will (1) transition to independent, community-owned organizations; (2) sustain comprehensiveness and generalism; (3) emphasize collaborative learning and interprofessional education; (4) develop local educators with national guidance; and (5) share resources, responsibilities, and learning. We describe actionable steps to begin the process of transforming residencies and strengthening primary care. As community-based and locally-run organizations, residencies will gain self-determination in how time is allocated, budgets are spent, and teams function. Building on the momentum of the National Academy of Medicine’s 2021 primary care implementation plan and recommendations by family medicine organization leaders, we propose a Decade of Family Medicine Residency Transformation. We encourage individuals and organizations spanning disciplines, health care systems, and communities, to join forces to reimagine and recreate the preparation of outstanding personal physicians dedicated to individual and community health and well-being.

The lived experience of new graduate nurses successfully completing NCLEX-RN

Background and objective: The NCLEX pass rate is considered the primary indicator of program quality. Much literature exists regarding pre-graduation efforts aimed at aiding students to prepare for the NCLEX-RN exam, while there is little available on post-graduation efforts. This project was conducted to identify the post-graduation experiences of successful NCLEX-RN test takers as they prepared to complete the exam.Methods: This was a qualitative descriptive study utilizing a phenomenological framework to determine the lived experience of new graduates preparing to complete the NCLEX-RN exam.Results: Four main themes were identified as relevant to post graduation experiences including: (a) Finding Motivation, (b) Study Tactics, (c) Taking a Break, and (d) The Testing Experience. Additionally, few of the participants took it for granted that they were going to pass the exam, they reported wishing they had spent more time preparing, and with regard to studying, several described wishing they had started earlier.Conclusions: It will be beneficial for faculty to discuss potential strategies for success to utilize after graduation, including expectations of testing day, setting a realistic timetable to test, overcoming lack of motivation to preparation for the exam, and careful scheduling of coaching and study sessions.

Are They Ready? Trials, Tribulations, and Professional Skills Vital for New Veterinary Graduate Success

Stress and burnout levels are high among young veterinarians with the transition to practice being particularly challenging. This qualitative study aimed to capture and document the new graduate veterinary experience within the United States and which professional skills are most important for success during the transition to practice. The researchers sought to better understand this challenging transition period and provide insight for veterinary educators who are tasked with preparing new veterinary graduates for day 1 practice readiness. To gain a deeper understanding of the new graduate experience, a focus group was conducted with six veterinarians who recently graduated from four different U.S. veterinary colleges. Several themes arose regarding their experiences in the transition to practice including setbacks and adaptations, self-sufficiency and self-doubt, changing clientele and ethical dilemmas, leadership and conflict, and good vs. bad mentorship. Self-care, conflict management, and client communication were perceived as the most important professional skills for success in the transition to practice. New graduate veterinarians reported that they were least prepared for working with clients with financial constraints and managing conflict. Drawing from this qualitative data, the researchers propose several topics that could be incorporated into professional skills curriculum to further enhance day 1 preparedness of new veterinary graduates to promote well-being in the transition to practice.

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.