Research in regard to newly graduated nurses (NGN) and their transition into mental health care seems limited and faced with serious problems in recruiting and retaining nurses (Tingleff and Gildberg 2014). Therefore, these projects focuses on generating such knowledge in order to serve as a foundation for further development of recruitment and retainment strategies.
Collaboration contacts:
Ellen B. Tingleff: ebti[a]ucl.dk
Frederik A. Gildberg: fgildberg[a]health.sdu.dk
Forensic Mental Health Research Unit Middelfart (RFM), Department of Regional Health Research, Faculty of Health Science, University of Southern Denmark & Psychiatric dept. Middelfart, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark.
Sørensen, T., Tingleff, EB., Gildberg, FA. 2018. Feeling safe and taking on responsibilities: Newly graduated nurses’ perceptions and evaluations of their transition into a forensic mental health inpatient setting. Journal of Forensic Nursing. 10.1097/JFN.0000000000000190 Article, peer review. Status: Published.
Forensic mental health care is faced with serious problems in the recruitment and retention of newly graduated nurses (NGNs). Research intoNGNs’ experiences of their transition to and evaluations of transition programs in forensic care is sparse, and more studies are called for. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of NGNs’ experiences and perceptions of their transition into a forensic setting and their evaluations of the introduction period. Three focus group interviews were carried out, involving 13 NGNs, lasting 79.68 minutes on average. They were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results show twomain themes: “feeling safe” and “taking on responsibilities.” If NGNs felt overburdened with clinical responsibilities during their transition, their feeling of safety reduced. The converse also applied; theThe safer they felt, the greater clinical responsibility they felt capable of handling. The more difficult the NGNs perceived the informal transition, the more unsafe they felt, and the more negatively they perceived the responsibilities placed upon them. Tailored programs designed to support both the informal and formal transitions are recommended, along with preceptorship, theoretical training, and role-based support, such as a shift manager, along with early introduction to conflict management and security measures.
Tingleff, E. B., Dalsgaard, K., Lunding, D. & Gildberg, F. A. 2015 ”Merged into culture”: The experiences of being newly employed nursing staff in adult psychiatry. Vol. 29. No. 3 pp. 11-26 .Klinisk Sygepleje. Research: Article, peer reviewed. Status: Published.
Background: Newly qualified nurses experience a stressful transition into mental health nursing, but research shows that transition programs meet many of the challenges. Research on transition into mental health nursing that includes experienced nurses and health care assistants seems sparse. Aim: To investigate how newly employed nursing staff experience the transition and experience and evaluate the introduction to adult psychiatry. Method: 17 participants were interviewed in 3 focus groups. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis within a symbolic interactionism framework. Results: The newly employed experience themselves working in certain ‘culture’ and undergo a ‘transition’ characterized by four themes; ’Formal introduction’, ’Informal introduction’, ’The role’ and ’Working environment’. Conclusion: The newly employed experiences of ‘culture’ are very essential for their experiences of the transition and experiences and evaluations of the introduction. Structured, research-based transition programs are necessary in order for newly employed to achieve a healthy transition into mental health nursing.
Tingleff, EB. Gildberg, FA. 2014. New graduate nurses in transition: A review of transition programs and transition experiences within mental health care. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing – Research: Article, peer reviewed. Status: Published
Research on experiences of transition into mental health-care roles seems sparse, but it is vital in order to produce a comprehensive understanding of the transition into mental health-care roles and to serve as a foundation for future research and development. The aim of the present study was to review existing research literature, and in doing so, investigate transition programmes for new graduate nurses (NGN) into mental health care, and their experiences of role transition and evaluations of participation in transition programmes. The literature review spans literature published after the year 2000. The literature search was conducted using the following databases: CINAHL, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, and Pubmed. Search results consisting of 14 articles were analysed using thematic analysis. Results from the analysis showed four overall themes: nursing education, transition programmes and evaluations, working environment, and the NGN role. We conclude that it is not possible to produce a comprehensive understanding specifically concerning the transition programmes for NGN into mental health care, and that further research is necessary due to the limitations of this review.