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Abstract

In this study was examined the effect of prior job experience on reactions to a new job situation. Newly hired registered nurses (20 with prior experience in other hospitals, 24 new graduates) completed surveys about their expected job outcomes one week prior to job entry and four months after job entry on their obtained job outcomes. Propensity to leave was also assessed on the postjob-entry survey. The analysis indicated a significant drop between expected and obtained outcomes for the experienced nurses. The new graduates were stable over time with a lower propensity to leave than the experienced nurses. Results imply that experienced employees may be more capable of interpreting new work environments whereas naive employees may need more time. Implications for research are discussed.

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Effect of Experience on Adjustment to a New Job Situation

Abstract

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References