A Study on New Graduate Nurses' Clinical Experience of Adaptation

신규간호사의 임상적응 경험에 관한 연구

Purpose : This study aimed at understanding the lived experience of new graduate nurse in hospital setting.Method : This study was based on a phenomenological approach. For this study, 8 new graduate nurses participated. The unstructured in-depth interviews were carried out from June to October, 1998. The data was analyzed Van Kaam's method.Results : Clinical new graduate nurses experienced clinical adaptation and endeavor, professional conflict of nursing, disability of nursing performance, work stress and management, maladaptation of human relationships, diverse emotions of interpersonal relationships, change of personal identity, difference between theory and reality of nursing.Clinical adaptation and endeavor included to get familiar with hospital life, satisfaction and worth for nursing, to get familiar with scoldings, calm down by oneself, efforts for self-development. Professional conflicts of nursing included future uncertainties in the hospital, dissatisfactions in work, doubts and regrets in nursing.Disability of nursing performance included lack of knowledges and skills, desolate working, stresses from mistake in working. Work stress and management included psychological signs and symptoms, physical signs and symptoms, management of stress. Maladaptation of human relationships included unsuitabilities in nursing unit climate, difficulties in human relationship. Diverse emotions of interpersonal relationships included regrets and absurdities to clients, thanks and regrets to colleagues, difficulties with doctors, sense of rivalry with colleague nurses. Change of personal identity included to become narrowing life circle, change of personality. The differences between theoretical knowledge and practice included needs of systematic pre-education for clinical nursing practice, differences between nursing educations and clinical practices.Conclusion : Therefore, the human resource management reflecting new graduate nurses' experiences should be developed.