Fostering Role Transition: Using Elective Nursing Courses

As graduation approaches, baccalaureate nursing students begin to see their professional goal becoming a reality. But does receiving the graduation certificate and passing board exams really make role transition from student to practitioner possible? A US college utilized nursing clinical elective courses to bridge the gap between the student role and the professional role. A phenomenological, qualitative study was conducted to ascertain the graduates lived experiences following graduation and to evaluate the perception of the graduates transition into nursing practice. Participants in this study found that skill repetition, prioritization practice, exposure to death-dying experiences and networking with nurses prepared the undergraduate student for role transition into emergency nursing. By interacting with nurse role models, the student nurse developed an increased sense of proficiency and confidence prior to graduation that allowed the graduate nurse to smoothly transition into their professional role. This research provides a model to guide nursing educators in designing curricula that prepares graduates who can more effectively transition into their first nursing role.