TRANSITION SHOCK AND SELF-EFFICACY AMONGST NEW GRADUATE NURSES POST-PANDEMIC

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges for newly graduated nurses entering professional practice. Transition shock theory supports the hardships, confusion, and doubt felt by this population during their initial entry to practice. Self-efficacy is believing in one's abilities to succeed despite overcoming challenges. Understanding the consequences of the pandemic on the transition shock of new graduates and examining the influence of self-efficacy is lacking. The research questions guiding this study were: 1) How do NGNs working in an acute care setting post-pandemic make sense of and perceive their transition shock experience? and 2) What does self-efficacy during this transition shock period mean to NGNs? Interpretive Phenomenology Analysis methodology guided this study. Four themes emerged: self-doubt, emotional whirlwind, silver lining, and pandemic effects. As the nursing shortage worsens, and new graduate nurses' attrition rates increase, further understanding how to support new graduates entering the workforce is needed to increase retention.