“In at the deep end” - a preliminary analysis of focus group discussions with novice nurses in Lebanon -

Abstract

The transition of novice nurses to the workforce is a challenging process. Nurses are leaving the familiarity of their university for clinical areas that are not always receptive to receiving them. There are structural challenges in this transition that are not always recognized. The aim of this study is to identify how nurse graduates from four of Lebanon’s leading universities make the transition from student to professional nurse. It explores as well whether there are distinctly local factors in Lebanon that affect the career goals and career intentions of novice nurses.This is an exploratory, descriptive, non-directive qualitative study. Participants were recruited from four top Lebanese universities and focus groups took place in the respective universities. A total of 21 novice nurse participants in their first year of practice were recruited from the participating schools of nursing and medical centers. Data was collected in focus group discussions conducted at the four universities. Thematic analysis was used to undertake a preliminary analysis of the data. Six themes in the category of structural challenges were identified. Opinions about these themes varied among the nurses. Some challenges are related to the Lebanese culture and have not been reported previously in the literature. Novice nurses find the transition to the workplace uneasy. Establishing working relationships with preceptors and experienced nurses in particular is troublesome. Graduates from only one of the four universities stated they needed more clinical education. The impact of shift work on relationships with family and friends was the major culturally specific challenge faced by the nurses. Changes need to be made to the university curricula and to the hospital settings to facilitate the transition of graduate nurses to the workforce.