New graduate nurses’ caring qualities declined after experiencing “workplace misfit”
Being caring, empathetic, knowledgeable and respectful are four qualities of nurses and are likely to be the attributes of students who decide to become a nurse. Yet, a new study showed that caring, as a central tenet of nursing, declined slightly on graduation.
The Australian study by Leanne Cowin and Maree Johnson titled From student to graduate: longitudinal changes in the qualities of nurses suggested that good qualities such as being caring and empathetic increased during the student years, particularly in the third year. However, these desirable qualities declined when new graduates face realities of clinical practice in a workplace setting which starts in the first year of graduation. That is, “workplace misfit” sets in.
The study was aimed at examining the development of perceived qualities of nurses from their time as a student to when they are a new graduate as a part of continual research in light of a looming crisis in nurse recruitment and retention. Data was collected annually from 2019-2012 with 676 participants in the year 1, but with only 136 participants completed the survey each year forming the complete data set for analysis.
The study, published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, concluded that the first year of graduation is that in which the concept of “workplace misfit” is occurring and is where further nurse graduate support is urgently required.
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2 replies to “New graduate nurses’ caring qualities declined after experiencing “workplace misfit””
I can see how this is very possible. I am a 3rd year RN student and throughout placements I have experienced this reality when working. It feels as if Nurses become burdened by the tasks in their role and struggle to work with the essence, the essence of who they are and why they chose nursing.
Hi Harrison.
I agree with your idea. Nurses are immersed by tasks until they become burned out and unaware of their true self. The understaffing, heavy workload/patient load, and the heartless management have contributed to the lack of support for graduate nurses. There were times I doubted whether nursing can be considered a passion or just simply a paid job.