Faculty perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on new graduate nurses' transition to practice: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted nursing education worldwide. Most studies have focused on how the pandemic affected students. With an alarming workforce shortage, a better understanding of the pandemic's impact on new nurses is vital to proactively develop strategies to promote success of the profession's newest members. PURPOSE: This study explored faculty perceptions of the pandemic's impact on new nurses' practice preparedness and recommendations for promoting effective transition to practice. METHODS: Using an exploratory-descriptive qualitative approach and convenience sampling, 116 nurse faculty from across North Carolina, United States responded to open-ended questions within an electronic survey. Data were analyzed with thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: 1) Less Hands-On, 2) Transition-to-Practice Opportunities, 3) Key Role of Preceptors, and 4) Provide Additional Support. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide strategies clinical nurses and leaders can implement to meet the needs of new nurses entering professional practice during the ongoing pandemic. Due to less hands-on learning, pandemic graduates may benefit from extended time with a trained preceptor and opportunities to focus on clinical reasoning, managing multiple patients, effective communication, and safe skill performance. Upon entering the clinical environment, pandemic graduates' inexperience may increase the likelihood of transition shock, requiring multi-faceted approaches for providing support.