UNIMAS FINAL YEAR NURSING STUDENTS’ READINESS TOWARDS TRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL NURSING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

• Main Author: ANITRA BERAWANG, ALEXANDER LAMPU
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English; English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, (UNIMAS) 2023
• Subjects: R Medicine (General); RT Nursing
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/43352/1/Anitra%20Berawang%2024pgs.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/43352/2/Anitra%20Berawang%20ft.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/43352/

Transitioning to nursing practice after graduating from nursing school is a complex process. Transition shock, one of the common phenomena that occurs to many newly graduated nurses around the globe. Many theories have been constructed to understand this transition process. It is undeniable that the inability to meet expectations and work readiness may influence the new nurses’ sustainability in the profession. However, limited studies have been done to study work readiness among final-year nursing students. Therefore, this study aims to explore the final-year nursing students’ readiness towards their transition to the nursing profession. Methods: This study used descriptive qualitative to explore UNIMAS final-year nursing students’ readiness towards the transition. Semi-structured and face-to-face interviews were conducted among the participants and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: Two themes have emerged in exploring the final-year nursing students’ expectations towards the transition which are role transition and fear and anxiety of incompetencies. Then, there are a few challenges that influence their readiness which are the opportunity to learn, interpersonal relationships and occupational hazards. To overcome the challenges, they also perceived some strategies that may facilitate their readiness such as establishing a network of social connections, personal development, and compartmentalisation. Conclusion: The final-year nursing students have different expectations and levels of readiness towards the transition to nursing practice based on their clinical experiences. However, they agreed that entering the transition phase is a challenging period and being able to come out with strategies helps them to cope.