New Graduate Nursing: transition process

ESSAY ON ISSUE ENCOUNTERED BY A GRADUATE NURSE IN TRANSITION Name of the Student: Date: INTRODUCTION (100 words) The transition process for every graduate nurse is a period characterized by transitional based issues and a variety of difficulties (Casey, et.al 2004). It is therefore important to understand the various aspects of the transition process in nursing, and the difficulties encountered by graduate registered nurses as they enter the work force (Chang & Hancock, 2005). This essay will define, describe from literature, justify selection, discuss the impact, and show how therapeutic relationships, leadership and professional boundaries as issues encountered by graduate nurses during transition, influence their transition. It will also illustrate importance of these issues later in the profession. BODY Therapeutic Relationships (604 words) Step 1 (163 words) From my critical reflections, I have chosen therapeutic relationships since nurse client relationships lay the foundation of nursing. The National Council of State Boards of nursing defines therapeutic relationships as a continuum of professional behavior that has a zone of under involvement, to a zone of helpfulness, and an extreme of over involvement (Peternelj, 2002). Justification of the selection of therapeutic relationships is that the restructuring of the health care system has resulted in the removal of elements that support therapeutic relationships. The restructuring has led to replacement of non professionals with regular health care provider, decreased support mechanism, and decreased nurse educators. This has led to the graduate nurse sense of emotional burnout, translating to decreased nurse and patient satisfaction (Aiken et al., 2001). It has also led to decreased quality of care (McGillis Hall et al., 2001). This necessitates for me as a graduate nurse to learn how to develop therapeutic relationships, so as to shield myself from the adverse outcomes. Step 2 (271 words) 5 journals used Importance of therapeutic relationships in nursing has been cited as a key to balance the emphasis on communication technical skills (Chant et al., 2002). Graduate nurses in transition ought to use their therapeutic relationships as a key attribute of relating professionally with their patients (McQueen 2000). For a nurse client relationship to be therapeutic, it must encompass: trust (Belcher & Jones, 2009), empathy, respect, professional intimacy, and power. Graduate nurses should move towards establishing trust in their patients, and keep it strong as breeched trust is had to replace. Respect entails the graduate nurses realizing the uniqueness, worth and dignity of their patients, regardless of their patients` socio economic class. Professional intimacy entails the graduate nurses` access to patients` personal health information, and performance of procedures like bathing, psychological acre, and spiritual care. Power should be used by the graduate nurse in a caring manner, should not be abused, and its main goal should be to meet the needs of the client. Empathy entails understanding, validating and reasoning with the patient, it means the ...