New Workplace Culture Graduate Nurses

Question: Discuss about the New Workplace Culture for Graduate Nurses. Answer: Introduction: Graduate RN nurses face a host of challenges when transitioning from the nursing school setting to a new workplace after placement. These include a number of barriers that hinder a smooth transition from student nursing to graduate nursing practice. The main problem is that majority of the graduate nurses have little knowledge on the approaches that can be used to successfully adapt to their new workplace culture for nursing practice (Fetherstonhaugh, et al, 2008). While some may take a short time to adapt, it sometimes remains difficult for others to acclimatize themselves within new nursing facilities and settle down within the first 6 months (Eskola al, 2016). Different studies have tried to establish workplace-specific approaches that can bring about successful transition for graduate nurses. Even so, majority have focused mainly on orientation programs, which remain a responsibility of the hospital management. However, there is need for individual initiated efforts to that can e nable graduate nurses overcome the barriers in their first 6 months of nursing practice in a new workplace (Madsen et al, 2009). This is in consideration to the fact that an individuals personality also determines their ease of adapting to a new workplace as heighted in the journal by Fetherstonhaugh, et al (2008). It is crucial to note that Graduate nurses have individual goals apart from institutional objectives which they have to follow. Among these goals according to Edgecombe Bowden (2009) include job satisfaction, an important factor that determines how long an individual nurse is likely to stick to a certain facility as part of staff. Therefore, graduate nurses must individually initiate self-based approaches to overcome the barriers to successful transition (Rydon et al, 2008). These self-based approaches include the willingness to take part in the initial orientation to learn, must embrace moral values such as politeness, punctuality and self-sufficiency, learn from mistak es, and keep their work journals that will enable them make references on crucial observations and milestones made. This discussion presents the different self-based approaches that can be used by graduate nurses to overcome transition barriers from student nursing to graduate nursing practice and thus adapt first to their new workplace culture. Barriers Facing By Graduate Nurses during Transition Several Australian journals that have focused on the barriers that graduate nurses face, while transiting from student nurses into graduate nurses have provided a number of conclusions. According to Dyess Sherman (2009), one of these barriers includes inadequate support to adapt to the new workplace especially from the older nurses and staff. This translates into a lack of direction, confusion and general loss of morale. Another barrier includes horizontal violence from older staff members, especially those within the same departments in the nursing facilities as described by Newton McKenna (2009). There have been cases of abrasive staff members who harass others, including the graduate nurses. This ranges from sexual violence to verbal insults which demotivate graduate nurses, making them to opt for transfers from such facilities, within the first year of practice (Fetherstonhaugh, et al, 2008). Further, having too many expectations on the actual nursing practice by novice nurses b rings about frustrations when they realize that the hospital setting is really different from nursing school setting (Edgecombe Bowden, 2009). In Australia, a section of graduate nurses who find adapting to a new workplace difficult, have reported to experience job dissatisfaction and low morale while on duty. Retention rates for graduate nurses according to Newton McKenna (2009) have also been affected as a result of graduate nurses moving from public facilities to private institutions where there are better transitional programs and where they feel satisfied with their jobs. In this regard, finding solutions to this problem remains imperative for the Australian government, in the effort to shaping the future of public health institutions in the country. There are a number of approaches that new graduate nurses need to practice so as to overcome the earlier mentioned barriers to adapting into the new workplace. Among the approaches according to Kelly Ahern (2008) include the need to be respectful, polite, understanding, keeping a work journal for reference, being ready to learn from other staff members. Punctuality for new nurses is crucial as it helps the new nurses to carry out tasks independently and/or as an assistant to older staff members within time (Newton McKenna, 2009). Acceptability of the new nurses determines their productivity at the workplace and even at home. New nurses often get assigned senior members of staff who ensure that newbies put under them develop their skills confidently and comfortably. The graduate nurses must therefore be able to practice politeness for instance, punctuality, maintaining respect and remaining reflective (Fetherstonhaugh, et al, 2008). They should understand that mistakes are opportuni ties for them to learn but should not be concealed. As nursing schools try to come up with ways to cultivate student nurse social skills according to (Levett-Jones, et al, 2008), there is need for these newbies to understand the expectations of the workplace. A careful observation among newbies and readiness to learn will make them to easily adapt to the workplace culture. Willingness to Learn and Participate in Orientation Programs New graduate nurses to accept to learn from existing staff members and proactive participation in orientation programs within the health facility they have been posted. Graduate nurses must understand that as beginners, they have a lot of things to learn from the older staff members (Newton McKenna, 2009). Research indicates that the environment in the real world for nurses is very different from the clinical environment while in the nursing schools. Staff members within the workplace will always teach a newbie how to bond within the team, how they carry out their nursing practice around the workplace both during orientation and while still adapting ((Edgecombe Bowden, 2009). The values one acquires within this initial orientation and while on the job as a newbie, must be inculcated into their roles (Fetherstonhaugh, et al, 2008). Therefore, there is need for new nurses to accept this new knowledge as they get shaped by the experts themselves while on the job. Paying attention at t he time of introduction to the new facility and staff members is vital (Levett-Jones, et al, 2008). At this point, new nurses will be briefed on different issues reading the health facilities including corporate culture, workplace values, organizational structure, departmental factors and the office environment (Levett-Jones, et al, 2008). At this point, the new nurses are shown the good side of the institution and to further their understanding of the facility. There is need for new nurses to take advantage of such briefing so as to rapidly be familiar with the institutional background, workplace culture, and additional code of conduct, styles of working and the related departments (Rydon et al, 2008). While all nursing facilities focus on providing curative and preventive care as their major objective, it is imperative for graduate nurses to understand that the workplace culture varies from facility to the other (Rydon et al, 2008). Therefore, they should be open-minded in choosin g to follow any special directions from senior staff members, and those already used to the workplace. In this regard, there is need to seek every clarification from the staff members on different issues and operations within the departments that one is likely to interact with as a nurse in practice (Fetherstonhaugh, et al, 2008). Usually, every interaction between the old staff members and the newbie nurses should be a learning opportunity, especially during the first few months in the workplace. In most hospitals, there are older staff members who are put in-charge of orienting newbies and making them to comfortably fit into the workplace culture (Rydon et al, 2008). Orientation may only take a week for busy health facilities and therefore, there is need for graduate nurses to remain relevantly inquisitive even beyond this period so as to learn further, the workplace culture. Moral Values: Respect and Politeness Punctuality There is need for graduate nurses to embrace politeness and maintain respect when communicating with the rest of the staff members. Communication remains an important factor in nursing practice (Fetherstonhaugh, et al, 2008). Nurses must always embrace hospitality through a polite way of communication when interacting with patients and still when assisting each other in carrying out duties. There are times when some patients become rude, co-workers refuse to help out to solve an issue, and/or the nursing manager becomes impatient with new graduate nurses (Rydon et al, 2008). These factors have been reviewed by different occupational safety and health psychologists who advice graduate nurses to still cope, despite the challenges. There is need for the graduate nurses at the point of transition to understand that such behaviors among old staff members and patients might not be about them personally (Duvall, 2009). At one point, the patients might be in pain; while coworkers might also be too busy to assist a new graduate nurse in particular situations (Edgecombe Bowden, 2009). On the other hand, the nurse managers might also be late for meetings and therefore have little time to interact and/or provide particular clarifications. Even so, there is need for new graduate nurses to notify the nurse managers in cases where such behaviors are consistent, among some old staff members (Rydon et al, 2008). The hostile staff members may be approached and advised to accommodate the newbies so that they feel part of the team in the workplace. They should also be punctual and therefore arrive in time for every allocated shift. Usually according to Forrest (2013), nurses get irritated when they are held back, waiting for another person to take over the next shift. In cases where an old staff nurse has worked the whole night for instance, they are very tired and therefore want to hand in their report and break off (Johnstone et al 2008). Starting a shift behind schedule and hu rrying to catch up leads to overlooking of crucial information regarding patient care (Duvall, 2009). It also brings about friction between the new graduate nurse and the old staff members. It should be the priority of every graduate nurse to ensure that they professionally practice within the accepted deadlines and set goals. Learning From Mistakes In nursing practice, making mistakes is inevitable and this is evident even among the most experienced nurses (Halfer Graf, 2006). It is only that these mistakes should be a learning other approach that new graduate nurses need to fit in the new workplace culture involves expecting to make mistakes and being sure to learn from them. New nurses are mostly vulnerable to being very enthusiastic (Johnstone et al 2008). Normally when an individual enters a new work environment, they always want their abilities recognized. For new nurses, this is likely to make them too proactive and also very talkative (Edgecombe Bowden, 2009). Usually at such an initial stage, any careless mistake may lead them to confinement within the periphery of their current work team and thus lead to difficulty for them to fit in the society. Any mistakes made by new nurses must however not be concealed from the nurse manager and/or a fellow nurse on the same shift (Johnstone et al 2008). In the day-to-day nursin g practice, it is possible to avoid a lot of mistakes and in the same way, it is possible to make some mistakes. It is clear that even the most experienced nurses through their practice over time have made mistakes (Halfer Graf, 2006). New graduate nurses therefore do not need to put extra pressure on themselves trying to avoid making any mistake by all means. While doing so may help them avoid a number of mistakes, this behavior sets them up for failure as it increases their anxiety according to ((Duchscher, 2008)). They also feel overwhelmed and likely to conceal these mistakes. Usually, hospitals have laid down procedures on reporting minor and major mistakes. Therefore, new nurses need inform other nurses of any mistakes made and then follow the policies of the facility in regard to documentation and reporting of issues (Kelly Ahern, 2008). It is against the nursing practice code of ethics to conceal mistakes that might especially lead to life-threatening situations for both p atients and others at the workplace. In extreme cases when the mistakes are identified, one may have their nursing licenses revoked by the government and termination of the contract at a workplace (Duvall, 2009). Equally so as to fit in the workplace culture, a new nurse should be able to offer their support to any coworker who has made a mistake in the practice. This will not only help reduce the effect of the mistake if minor, but will bring about bonding among the coworkers. Keeping a Work Journal for Reflection Further, keeping an updated work journal for new nurses helps one to check their adaptation to workplace culture and make improvements where necessary (Kelly Ahern, 2008). New graduate nurses should be able to write down their experiences on patient care, their preceptor feedback and their self-reflection at the end of a given. A review of the work journal including some time to reflect and meditate on the same, helps them to easily cope with workplace stress((Duchscher, 2008). Since it is a personal journal, one is free to write down whatever information they may want to remember including any descriptions of horrible shifts, patient and their families thank-you cards, among others. Even so, there is need to keep such a work journal confidential according to Newton McKenna (2009) and use name initials for those coworkers and people that you write about. Preferably, it should be stored securely at home. The work journal according to Mann et al (2009) also helps write down the diffe rent mistakes one might have made at a given time so that they cannot be repeated at a later time. In regard to adapting to the workplace culture, work journals helps a newbie to remember the names of their coworkers, members of their shifts, the different departmental heads in the facility and even their contacts (Kelly Ahern, 2008). The work journals should help the new nurse remember the reporting procedures, departmental objectives and any acquired knowledge as newbies in the nursing practice. Conclusion In conclusion therefore, this discussion presents the different approaches that new graduate nurses must practice in order to not only overcome the transition barriers from student nursing to graduate nursing but also to easily fit into a new workplace. Among the approaches include the need to be respectful, polite, understanding, keeping a work journal for reference, being ready to learn from other staff members. Further, punctuality for new nurses is crucial as it helps the new nurses to carry out tasks independently within time. More particularly, the nurses must always remember to be positive enough and charming to work with. Acceptability of the new nurses determines their productivity at the workplace and even at home. Most often, new nurses are assigned senior members of staff who ensure that newbies put under them do not get discouraged. As nursing schools try to come up with ways to encourage newbies on how to interact, there is need for these newbies to understand the expec tations of the workplace. A careful observation among newbies and readiness to learn will make them to easily adapt to the workplace culture. References Duchscher, J.B. (2008) Transition shock: the initial stage of role adaptation for newly graduated registered nurses. Journal of advanced nursing. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04898.x Duvall, J. (2009). From Novice to Advanced Beginner. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development (JNSD), 25(1), 25-27. https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/nnd.0b013e318194b4fc Dyess, S.M. Sherman, R.O (2009) The first year of practice: new graduate nurses transition and learning needs. The journal of continuing education in nursing 40 (9) pp. 403-410 doi: 10.3928/00220124-20090824-03 Edgecombe, K. Bowden, M. 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