Newly Graduated Nurses in a Tug of War

In transitioning from student to nurse, newly graduated registered nurses often encounter an unexpected professional reality. This chapter aims to deepen the understanding of what thoughts make newly graduated nurses question their future in the nursing profession, what makes them want to stay, and what makes them want to leave the profession. Following this, the chapter draws on the concept of reality shock, which is utilized as an analytical tool to explore empirical examples demonstrating newly graduated nurses’ thoughts questioning their own future in the profession. It is argued that newly graduated nurses who are confident in their choice of studying nursing and those who thought the choice was random are both in a tug of war that seems to have been triggered by a reality shock. The new graduates who question their own future in the profession want both to leave and stay in it. They compared their professional enthusiasm, wavered about the nursing profession, were confused about nurses’ qualifications, and found their working day all- consuming. The chapter ends by deriving implications for professional practice.