Effects of pre-graduation characteristics and working environments on transition shock of newly graduated nurses: A longitudinal study

The transition of newly graduated nurses to nursing practice is a considerable challenge and can lead to transition shock, which is defined as the difficulty experienced by newly graduated nurses during the transition from student to nurse. However, there have only been a few studies on the transition shock of newly graduated nurses and its influencing factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of pre-graduation characteristics and working environments on the transition shock of newly graduated nurses. A prospective, longitudinal, and correlational design was used. Data were collected from 5 nursing colleges in South Korea. Participants included 312 newly graduated nurses who had graduated from the 5 nursing colleges in February 2016 and were working in hospitals. A convenience sample of 526 undergraduate nursing students completed questionnaires, capturing demographic data and measuring grade point average, self-efficacy, and professional nursing values. After graduation, 317 of the participants responded to the second survey, which included measures of transition shock and working environments. Of these, 312 were used for the final analysis, excluding 5 with incomplete responses. Data were analyzed using descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses as appropriate. The mean transition shock perceived by newly graduated nurses was 2.81 points on a 4-point scale. The factors significantly influencing transition shock were age, self-efficacy, working unit, desired unit, and nurse work environment. In order to reduce transition shock of newly graduated nurses, it is necessary for undergraduate programs to enhance their self-efficacy. It is also optimal to assign nurses into their desired unit and to improve nurse work environments. These changes will not only mitigate the transition shock of newly graduated nurses but will also contribute to the provision of quality nursing services at a hospital level.