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The secondary analysis of the results of the 2021 National Student Nurses' Association New Graduate Survey demonstrates the negative impact on the 2021 new graduate nurses' confidence and reported stresses in their new jobs following a year of changes due to the pandemic. Leadership in nursing education and the clinical workplace must continue to bridge the gap between education and practice to support transition to practice.
The annual National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA) New Graduate Survey is distributed each year following spring/summer graduations to identify and describe how new graduates enter the workforce. It provides insight into the 6-month to 1-year period of transition from student nurse to professional nurse that includes the search for their first job in a changing job market, reasons for choosing their first experience in the field, workplace stresses, and their perceptions of their educational preparation for their transition to practice (TTP). The sample is robust and representative of all 50 states and multiple territories, and can provide trends over the past 12 years with data collection relevant to workforce trends, student debt, and future career aspirations (Feeg & Mancino, 2019; 2020; Feeg et al., 2021). The survey of 2021 new nurse graduates included additional questions related to changes in schools and hospitals that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, information was included about students' experiences in their nursing education programs. These questions included having mentors, simulation, and limited clinicals during the pandemic; as well as their first job orientation, preceptor, and residency.
The purpose of the annual NSNA New Graduate Survey is to explore and describe the factors related to employment search, job obtainment, workplace stresses, and educational plans of a national sample of new graduates in nursing. The purpose of the secondary analysis of the 2021 results was to focus on the current statistics about new graduates' employment, challenges in beginning the jobs they prepared for in nursing school, and reported experiences as they transition into their professional nursing roles as it relates to their confidence to practice and the stresses they report in the workplace.
Transition to Practice
The TTP of new graduate nurses remains a topic of critical importance to healthcare administrators, consumers, and the nursing profession. New graduate nurses leave their first position within...