Stress in Novice Nurses in New Work Environments: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal Front Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2024 Nov 14

PMID 39540096

Authors

Angela Narbona-Galvez

Juan Jesus Garcia-Iglesias

Diego Ayuso-Murillo

Guadalupe Fontan-Vinagre

Juan Gomez-Salgado

Regina Allande-Cusso

Javier Fagundo-Rivera

Israel Macias-Toronjo

Carlos Ruiz-Frutos

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Inexperienced nursing care can compromise the quality of care and the well-being of patients. The aim of this study was to assess the main sources of stress encountered by nurses and novice nurses in a setting not previously experienced.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA format in Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL electronic databases in March 2024. A total of 395 studies were identified, of which 16 met the inclusion criteria. Selection was made on the basis of topic relevance and methodological quality, assessed using the critical tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI).

Results: A total of 16 studies were included in this review. Of the 16 selected, 10 were cross-sectional studies, 3 were cohort studies, 2 were qualitative, and 1 was a systematic review. The studies revealed that the main stressors for novice nurses included time management, workload, and interpersonal relationships. The results underline that organizational factors, such as lack of support and high work demands, play a key role in generating stress.

Conclusion: Identifying and addressing the key challenges faced by novice nurses, such as workload, adjustment to the environment, professional expectations, and interpersonal relationships, is crucial to sustain their professional engagement and ensure the quality of health care. This understanding is essential for creating efficient policies and practices that enhance the occupational well-being and stability of nurses in the workforce.

Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024520651, CRD42024520651.

Citing Articles

Psychosocial work characteristic profiles and health outcomes in registered nurses at different stages of their careers: a cross-sectional study.

Lonnqvist K, Sinervo T, Kaihlanen A, Elovainio M BMC Health Serv Res. 2025; 25(1):214.

PMID: 39915838 PMC: 11800416. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-12164-9.

References

Ten Hoeve Y, Brouwer J, Kunnen S . Turnover prevention: The direct and indirect association between organizational job stressors, negative emotions and professional commitment in novice nurses. J Adv Nurs. 2019; 76(3):836-845. PMC: 7028052. DOI: 10.1111/jan.14281. View

Kramer M, Schmalenberg C . Securing "good" nurse/physician relationships. Nurs Manage. 2003; 34(7):34-8. DOI: 10.1097/00006247-200307000-00013. View

Page M, McKenzie J, Bossuyt P, Boutron I, Hoffmann T, Mulrow C . The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ. 2021; 372:n71. PMC: 8005924. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n71. View

Zhou L, Kachie Tetgoum A, Quansah P, Owusu-Marfo J . Assessing the effect of nursing stress factors on turnover intention among newly recruited nurses in hospitals in China. Nurs Open. 2021; 9(6):2697-2709. PMC: 9584492. DOI: 10.1002/nop2.969. View

Blomberg K, Isaksson A, Allvin R, Bisholt B, Ewertsson M, Kullen Engstrom A . Work stress among newly graduated nurses in relation to workplace and clinical group supervision. J Nurs Manag. 2014; 24(1):80-7. DOI: 10.1111/jonm.12274. View

Uchino B . Understanding the Links Between Social Support and Physical Health: A Life-Span Perspective With Emphasis on the Separability of Perceived and Received Support. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015; 4(3):236-55. DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01122.x. View

Yeh M, Yu S . Job stress and intention to quit in newly-graduated nurses during the first three months of work in Taiwan. J Clin Nurs. 2010; 18(24):3450-60. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2009.02941.x. View

Zhang Y, Steege L, Pavek K, Brown R, Zhang Y . Identifying patterns of occupational stress trajectories among newly graduated nurses: A longitudinal study. Int J Nurs Stud. 2019; 99:103332. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.03.022. View

Halpin Y, Terry L, Curzio J . A longitudinal, mixed methods investigation of newly qualified nurses' workplace stressors and stress experiences during transition. J Adv Nurs. 2017; 73(11):2577-2586. DOI: 10.1111/jan.13344. View

10.

Kaldal M, Conroy T, Feo R, Gronkjaer M, Voldbjerg S . Umbrella review: Newly graduated nurses' experiences of providing direct care in hospital settings. J Adv Nurs. 2022; 79(6):2058-2069. DOI: 10.1111/jan.15434. View

11.

Spence Laschinger H, Cummings G, Leiter M, Wong C, MacPhee M, Ritchie J . Starting Out: A time-lagged study of new graduate nurses' transition to practice. Int J Nurs Stud. 2016; 57:82-95. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.01.005. View

12.

Jordan Z, Lockwood C, Munn Z, Aromataris E . The updated Joanna Briggs Institute Model of Evidence-Based Healthcare. Int J Evid Based Healthc. 2018; 17(1):58-71. DOI: 10.1097/XEB.0000000000000155. View

13.

Munn Z, Stern C, Aromataris E, Lockwood C, Jordan Z . What kind of systematic review should I conduct? A proposed typology and guidance for systematic reviewers in the medical and health sciences. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2018; 18(1):5. PMC: 5761190. DOI: 10.1186/s12874-017-0468-4. View

14.

Windle G, Bennett K, Noyes J . A methodological review of resilience measurement scales. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2011; 9:8. PMC: 3042897. DOI: 10.1186/1477-7525-9-8. View

15.

Bakker A, Demerouti E . Job demands-resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. J Occup Health Psychol. 2016; 22(3):273-285. DOI: 10.1037/ocp0000056. View

16.

Wu A . Medical error: the second victim. The doctor who makes the mistake needs help too. BMJ. 2000; 320(7237):726-7. PMC: 1117748. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.320.7237.726. View

17.

An M, Heo S, Hwang Y, Kim J, Lee Y . Factors Affecting Turnover Intention among New Graduate Nurses: Focusing on Job Stress and Sleep Disturbance. Healthcare (Basel). 2022; 10(6). PMC: 9223151. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10061122. View

18.

Labrague L, McEnroe-Petitte D . Job stress in new nurses during the transition period: an integrative review. Int Nurs Rev. 2017; 65(4):491-504. DOI: 10.1111/inr.12425. View

19.

Al Hadid L, Al Barmawi M, Alnjadat R, Farajat L . The impact of stress associated with caring for patients with COVID-19 on career decisions, resilience, and perceived self-efficacy in newly hired nurses in Jordan: A cross-sectional study. Health Sci Rep. 2022; 5(6):e899. PMC: 9595341. DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.899. View

20.

Quadrado E, Tronchin D, Maia F . Strategies to support health professionals in the condition of second victim: scoping review. Rev Esc Enferm USP. 2021; 55:e03669. DOI: 10.1590/S1980-220X2019011803669. View