Grant: Project Grant

It can be difficult for a new graduate nurse to transition into the role of registered nurse. New graduates report feelings of uncertainty, insecurity and generally feeling overwhelmed. These nurses are the most at risk for leaving the nursing profession because they may feel like they are not adequately prepared to work independently and may not feel supported in their new roles or job settings. New graduate nurses who work in critical care practice areas like the emergency department and the intensive care unit, are even more vulnerable and at risk for leaving jobs than graduate nurses working elsewhere. Critical care practice areas are very fast paced and unpredictable; the patients these nurses care for are extremely ill and are often experiencing life threatening situations. In an effort to better understand the experiences of these new graduate nurses, this project will explore what it is like for them to transition into their roles as registered nurses practicing in the critical care areas of the emergency department and the intensive care unit. Our research team will thoroughly review the literature currently published on this topic and the team will survey and interview new graduate nurses working in emergency and intensive care across Canada in order to gain an in-depth understanding of their experiences. The new knowledge that we gain from this study will be used to create a national guideline, in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses and the National Emergency Nurses Association, with the aim of better supporting new graduate nurses who become employed in these critical care practice areas.