Newly graduated nurses’ experiences during the first year in the profession : a literature based study

Background: The registered nursing profession is a profession with high complexity and those who practice the profession must have knowledge and understanding to be able to independently practice and apply skills based on theoretical and examined knowledge. However, despite the shortage of nurses in healthcare, many choose to leave the profession because of fatigue or emotional exhaustion. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe newly graduated nurses’ experiences during the first year in the profession Method: The method used in this study was a literature based study, nine qualitative articles chosen from the databases CINAHL and PubMed were analyzed by Friberg's five step method. The articles were quality checked. Results: Results are based on the newly graduated nurses' experience in the first year of working life via three main themes and eight sub-themes. The main themes were “The first period in the profession”, “Need for collegial support”, and “Workload”. Conclusion: The first year of professional work is a difficult time for newly graduated nurses, they experience high demands set on the work task, uncertainty about making correct patient assessments and handling heavy workloads. Introduction to the workplace, support from colleagues and the need for individual strategies with the aim of dealing with work-related stress were perceived as important aspects.