Exploring and Understanding Saudi Female Newly Qualified Nurses' (NQNs') Experiences During the Transition to Clinical Practice: A Qualitative Multiple-Case Study Approach

Abstract

Background: Newly qualified nurses’ transition to clinical practice is an international issue that affects retention, professional satisfaction, and confidence. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, newly graduated nurses face difficulties during their transition to practice and there is a need for more robust research to understand and explore the transition experience of Saudi NQNs. The scoping and focused reviews revealed the need to understand the experiences of NQNs during the transition period in the context of Saudi Arabia and to understand the perspectives of other key informants, such as head nurses, clinical instructors, and preceptors. Understanding NQNs’ experience during the first year of transition can contribute to providing the support they need and retaining them in the nursing profession.

Aims and Objective: To explore the individual experiences of Saudi female NQNs in clinical practice during the transition period from the perspective of Saudi female NQNs and HCPs in KSA hospitals.

Methods: This study adopts a qualitative multiple-case study design to explore the individual experiences of Saudi female NQNs in clinical practice during the transition period. Data were collected by conducting face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with ten NQNs and six health care staff, and documentary reviews in two government hospitals in KSA. Data were analysed by adapting the reflective thematic analysis (RTA) technique developed by Braun and Clarke (2021). Meleis et al.’s (2000) theory of transition has been used as a lens during the data collection, discussion and recommendation process.

Results: Three factors were found to facilitate or inhibit the transition: personal, society, and working environment. NQNs area adapting several strategies to facilitate their transition experience. Finally, NQNs explain their needs for further changes to improve the Saudisation programme to achieve the KSA 2030 vision. Health care staff emphasised the need to prepare the NQNs to facilitate their transition.

Discussion / Conclusion: The discussion and the recommendations were structured according to the research questions to understand the transition experience in the context of KSA. Overall, there is a need for further research to inform the enhancement of the transition experience of the NQNs in KSA and overcome its challenges. Although this study was conducted before the pandemic (Covid- 19), the findings of this study are consistent with other literature conducted after the pandemic that identified and emphasised the need for an extended support and preparation for the NQNs after the pandemic to improve the transition experiences.

In conclusion, despite the factors affecting the transition experience, Saudi NQNs are managing and coping with the difficulties of remaining in nursing. Whilst Saudisation program policies and health care staff support NQNs to improve the transition experience, it is necessary to review these policies in light of the challenges faced by NQNs to enhance the transition program outcome.

Date of Award	2023
Original language	English
Sponsors	Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau & King Saud University
Supervisor	Lorraine Anderson (Supervisor), Joan Cameron (Supervisor) & Elaine Lee (Supervisor)