New Graduate Nurses' Experiences and Challenges During a One-Year Clinical Rotation Programme in the Volta Region of Ghana: Implications for Nursing Management and Nursing Workforce Retention

Overview

Journal Biomed Res Int

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Biotechnology
General Medicine

Date 2022 Dec 30

PMID 36582603

Authors

Peter Adatara

George Sedinam Boni

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: To help improve the standards and quality of nursing practice, newly graduated nurses and midwives are required after passing the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Licensing Examination to undertake a one-year mandatory clinical rotation at health facilities before registration. However, there is a lack of scientific studies to explore new graduate nurses' experiences and challenges during the one-year mandatory clinical rotation programme.

Aim: This study is aimed at exploring newly qualified nurses' experiences and challenges during the one-year mandatory clinical rotation in health facilities in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Methods: This qualitative exploratory study used a combination of focus group discussions (FGDs) and individual interviews. Thirty (30) newly qualified nurses were selected from two secondary and one tertiary health facilities, where newly qualified nurses are posted for a clinical rotation programmes to participate in the study. A total of two focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, comprising five (5) members in each group. Moreover, twenty (20) newly qualified nurses were interviewed individually, and their data were added to what was obtained from the focus group discussions. This study adopted the thematic analysis approach to analyze the data.

Results: The results of this study showed that newly qualified nurses experienced the following during the one-year clinical rotation programme: acquisition of more knowledge and competencies to assume professional nursing roles; lack of knowledge of the objectives of the clinical rotation programme by hospital staff; experience of frustration during the clinical rotation programme; inadequate supervision and support; accommodation and financial challenges.

Conclusion: The study revealed important challenges experienced by new graduate nurses during the clinical rotation programme, including hospital staff's lack of knowledge regarding the objectives of the rotation programme, inadequate supervision and support, and accommodation and financial challenges. There is a need for the Nursing and Midwifery Council to develop guidelines for the one-year mandatory clinical rotation for newly graduated nurses and midwives to make the programme more effective.

Citing Articles

Supporting Novice Nurses' Transition to Independent Practice: Evaluation of the TIPS Program Using the Kirkpatrick Model.

Cordon C, Dlugosz D, Lopez L, Gelacio R, Smith-Eivemark K, Maier S Nurs Rep. 2025; 15(2).

PMID: 39997786 PMC: 11858043. DOI: 10.3390/nursrep15020050.

Program components, impact, and duration of implementing a new nurse orientation program in hospital contexts: A scoping review.

Ernawaty E, Hariati S, Saleh A Int J Nurs Stud Adv. 2024; 7:100214.

PMID: 38993995 PMC: 11234109. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnsa.2024.100214.

Examination of the role of the rotating nursing department in the training of nursing staff based on SWOT analysis.

Lv C, Guo Q, Peng S, Chen X, Liu S, Wang X Technol Health Care. 2024; 32(4):2541-2552.

PMID: 38251080 PMC: 11307012. DOI: 10.3233/THC-231282.

References

Teoh Y, Pua L, Chan M . Lost in transition--a review of qualitative literature of newly qualified Registered Nurses' experiences in their transition to practice journey. Nurse Educ Today. 2012; 33(2):143-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2012.08.016. View

Matlhaba K, Pienaar A, Sehularo L . Community service nurses' experiences regarding their clinical competence. Health SA. 2020; 24:1284. PMC: 6917431. DOI: 10.4102/hsag.v24i0.1284. View

Pasila K, Elo S, Kaariainen M . Newly graduated nurses' orientation experiences: A systematic review of qualitative studies. Int J Nurs Stud. 2017; 71:17-27. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.02.021. View

Roziers R, Kyriacos U, Ramugondo E . Newly qualified South African nurses' lived experience of the transition from student to community service nurse: a phenomenological study. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2014; 45(2):91-100. DOI: 10.3928/00220124-20140122-01. View

Hussein R, Everett B, Hu W, Smith A, Thornton A, Chang S . Predictors of new graduate nurses' satisfaction with their transitional support programme. J Nurs Manag. 2015; 24(3):319-26. DOI: 10.1111/jonm.12321. View

Strouse S, Nickerson C, McCloskey E . We don't miter the sheets on the bed: Understanding the preceptor role in the enculturation of nursing students. Nurse Educ Pract. 2018; 32:21-27. DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2018.06.014. View

Salem Alghamdi M, Baker O . Identifying the experiences of new graduate nurses during the transition period to practice as a professional nurse. J Clin Nurs. 2020; 29(15-16):3082-3088. DOI: 10.1111/jocn.15344. View

Duchscher J . Transition shock: the initial stage of role adaptation for newly graduated registered nurses. J Adv Nurs. 2009; 65(5):1103-13. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04898.x. View

Bull R, Shearer T, Phillips M, Fallon A . Supporting Graduate Nurse Transition: Collaboration Between Practice and University. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2015; 46(9):409-15. DOI: 10.3928/00220124-20150821-03. View

10.

Hussein R, Everett B, Ramjan L, Hu W, Salamonson Y . New graduate nurses' experiences in a clinical specialty: a follow up study of newcomer perceptions of transitional support. BMC Nurs. 2017; 16:42. PMC: 5534089. DOI: 10.1186/s12912-017-0236-0. View

11.

Mabuda B, Potgieter E, Alberts U . Student nurses' experiences during clinical practice in the Limpopo Province. Curationis. 2008; 31(1):19-27. DOI: 10.4102/curationis.v31i1.901. View

12.

Clark C, Springer P . Nurse residents' first-hand accounts on transition to practice. Nurs Outlook. 2011; 60(4):e2-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2011.08.003. View

13.

Woo M, Newman S . The experience of transition from nursing students to newly graduated registered nurses in Singapore. Int J Nurs Sci. 2020; 7(1):81-90. PMC: 7031122. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.11.002. View

14.

Glynn P, Silva S . Meeting the needs of new graduates in the emergency department: a qualitative study evaluating a new graduate internship program. J Emerg Nurs. 2012; 39(2):173-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jen.2011.10.007. View

15.

Abiodun R, Daniels F, Pimmer C, Chipps J . Nurse graduates' experiences and support needs: A qualitative systematic review of South Africa's community service programme. Curationis. 2019; 42(1):e1-e12. PMC: 6739524. DOI: 10.4102/curationis.v42i1.1906. View

16.

Williams C, Goode C, Krsek C, Bednash G, Lynn M . Postbaccalaureate nurse residency 1-year outcomes. J Nurs Adm. 2007; 37(7-8):357-65. DOI: 10.1097/01.nna.0000285112.14948.0f. View

17.

Aldosari N, Pryjmachuk S, Cooke H . Newly qualified nurses' transition from learning to doing: A scoping review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2020; 113:103792. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103792. View

18.

Chandler G . Succeeding in the first year of practice: heed the wisdom of novice nurses. J Nurses Staff Dev. 2012; 28(3):103-7. DOI: 10.1097/NND.0b013e31825514ee. View

19.

Parker V, Giles M, Lantry G, McMillan M . New graduate nurses' experiences in their first year of practice. Nurse Educ Today. 2012; 34(1):150-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2012.07.003. View