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Our project to follow 35 new graduate nurses from
around the country continues and, in this issue, part
two of our series focuses on their search for jobs and
their first few months in practice. Even in the short
amount of time since graduation, several trends/themes/messages
have become apparent that can teach us how to better
recruit and retain new graduates. Although many of our
graduates have had positive experiences since graduation,
others have not; so there is room for improvement.
- Today's new graduates are increasingly more sophisticated
in knowing what to look for in a position. They talk
to employees and past patients. Many are astute at
assessing compensation packages. They also are observant
when being interviewed or touring nursing units, looking
for signs of teamwork, communication and openness
to new graduates.
- Externships and part-time jobs for students in nursing
school are worthwhile investments for any organization.
The students in our project who participated in such
activities appeared to become more confident in their
clinical abilities more quickly and already felt a
part of the organization before they had to make a
decision about where to work after graduation. When
it came time to look for their first RN position,
these students most often opted to stay where they
had worked as students.
- Surprisingly, in an era of a nursing shortage when
we should be heavily recruiting new graduates, the
new graduates in our project who interviewed for RN
positions (and kept diaries on each interview) too
often experienced interviewers who were late for scheduled
interviews, did not appear to be engaged in the interview
process, seemed disorganized and did not follow up
with the applicant. Occasionally, the interviewers
even made promises about compensation, work units
and benefits that were not kept when the new graduate
reported to work.
- New graduates are excited and scared, and both
emotions need support from experienced nurses. They
also frequently feel inadequate in their clinical
abilities, sometimes for what seem like the simplest
things to experienced nurses, such as starting IVs
or tying restraints. Internships, consistent preceptors
and experienced nurses who take them under their wings
have a major effect on how successfully new graduates
navigate their first few months on the job and how
they view their own competence and confidence.
- Our new graduates also say that they wish they
had had more education and experience while in school
on the roles of various health care providers (MDs,
LVNs, nursing assistants), how to better communicate
with these individuals, documentation and charting
(as done for real in the hospital), time management
when taking a full patient load and how to know what
to do for a patient when there is only what's in your
head and no one is giving you multiple choice options.
As we welcome the new nurses who graduate this month,
let's remember what this group of new graduates has
shared with us. As one of them so eloquently said, "The
most wonderful feeling is knowing that there are people
around you who support you and are there to help you.
The more encouragement I get, the better I can function
as a nurse."
Discuss this and other topics with your colleagues
at www.nurseweek.com/rnvillage
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