New graduate registered nurses' perceptions of transitioning to professional practice after completion of the new graduate guarantee orientation program

In Canada, the projected shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) by 2022 is 60,000. This shortage is accentuated as Canadian New Graduate Registered Nurses (NGRNs) experience difficulties transitioning to professional practice. This study sought to explore NGRNs’ transition experiences in the 12 months post New Graduate Guarantee (NGG) orientation informed by Charmaz’s grounded theory methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten NGRNs working in one urban, academic hospital in Ontario. The theory’s overarching category Discovering Professional Self highlights the NGRNs’ transition experiences as a progressive process with transitory setbacks. The early part of the process, described as Surviving without a Safety Net, involved Experiencing Fear, Figuring it Out, and Learning on the Job. In the later part of the process, the NGRNs’ experienced a Turning of the Tables as they described Being Trusted, Gaining Confidence, and Feeling Comfortable in their professional role. Recommendations focus on strategies to enhance NGRNs’ transition experienc