Abstract
Aim:
To obtain knowledge of nearly graduated nursing student's expectations to becoming a nurse and experiences of being a new nursing graduate
Background:
The transition from student to new nursing graduate is experienced to be conflict-ridden and may result in newly registered nurses changing jobs (staff turnover) after a short period of time. Disharmony between expectations and the experience of being a nurse may complicate the transition.
Method:
Field work with participant observation and interviews with nine participants as nursing students and as new graduated nurses with analysis of data based on a phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation theory.
Results:
The nearly graduated nursing students were preoccupied with considerations about future employment as a registered nurse. The joy of finishing the education was mixed with apprehension about having to take on independency. If they as nursing students had had independent work, and if the interaction with colleagues was characterized by dialogue, andling the independency as new nursing graduate was easier.