Creating partnership by aligning the support needs of the neophyte registered nurse and the healthcare organisation: An appreciative inquiry

Abstract

The transition from neophyte registered nurse to staff nurse can be a challenging stage in an individual’s career. There has been much discussion on the process and the effect that it can have on the individual’s performance, however less consideration has been given to understanding the nature of required support and how this can be realised in the practice arena. This study focuses on the nature and concept of that support and investigates how six neophyte registered nurses and nine senior nurse managers from one healthcare organisation experience the transition. It examines what they perceive as desirable support and identifies what organisational features contribute to effective support when achieving a successful transition. The study adopts the affirmative action-orientated approach of Appreciative Inquiry, a methodology which is new to the research area but one which seeks to discover and build on what works well in existing systems. In particular, appreciative inquiry methodology engages with participants as co-collaborators to envision a future reality. The research employed a single mini-summit event structured by the 4D framework which engaged the participants in storytelling, drawing and generative thinking. Thematic analysis of data revealed four main themes which encapsulated the notion of support from participant perspectives: safe environment, strategic environment, learning environment and emotional environment. The concept of support is complex, however, the findings suggest that a high quality of contributing factors such as professional learning, social competency, guidance and a favourable workplace environment are essential to the process. This thesis further suggests that the transition from student to neophyte registered nurse requires good quality leadership from the organisation and senior nurse manager. A person-centred transition plan assists in aligning the individual needs with those of the healthcare organisation and creates the potential to enhance the individual’s experience, practice performance and organisational efficiency. Findings from this study have enabled the development of a conceptual model. This illustrates that the transition is a shared experience which needs to be shaped and informed through education, with the provision of organisational containment, to enhance good practice in order to facilitate professional growth