Work Readiness and Vocational Belonging: Exploring the Experiences of Newly Graduated Nurses

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to explore the relationship between work readiness and vocational belonging among newly graduated nurses-(NGNs). METHODS: The study employed a descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional design. It was conducted with 415 NGNs working at a city hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye. The Work Readiness Scale-Newly Graduated Nurses-(WRS-NGN) and the Vocational Belonging Scale-(VBS) were used for data collection. The data obtained from the study were analysed using the SPSS.22.0 statistical software. For data analysis, descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, and mean were calculated, and inferential statistics including t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: The mean WRS-NGN score of the participants was 347.29 ± 55.37, while the mean VBS score was 121.81 ± 35.45. A positive and moderate correlation was found between the work readiness and vocational belonging levels of NGNs (r = 0.607, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Work readiness was found to explain 36.8% of the variance in vocational belonging levels. The findings of the study revealed that NGNs were well-prepared for work and exhibited a moderate level of vocational belonging. It was also determined that the work readiness of NGNs influenced their level of vocational belonging. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.