The Nurse Professional

"Nursing school did not adequately prepare me for this role" and "Why didn't anyone tell me about this when I was a student?" are commonly heard complaints from new nurses during their first two "rite of passage" years following graduation. But this transition to professional practiceófraught with challenges, anxiety, triumphs, and tearsódoes not have to be so difficult. The Nurse Professional helps novices prepare for their transition into a "real world" role from being a student through graduation, NCLEX success, job search, first job, and beyond. It is the only book to cover all of the steps that new nurses must take to ensure a smooth transition into the professional role.

The author is a nurse educator and mentor with extensive experience in recruiting and orienting nurses. Dr. Hunt is also co-founder of the Nurse Advocacy Forum, providing advocacy, support, networking, professional development, leadership, and mentoring to students and new graduate nurses. She offers sound advice regarding the most current issues facing new nurses and practical strategies for obtaining a job of one's choice, describes steps to take well before graduation to ensure a smooth transition to professional practice, and addresses the various indicators of academic achievement that are required for employment at some nursing facilities. She also discusses the benefits of externships, internships, professional development, and networking, how to develop a winning portfolio, and how to successfully transition into professional practice. This book provides information on workplace bullying and how to deal with it; the importance of self-care, self-advocacy, and networking; writing a rÈsumÈ; interview skills; and much more. "Top 10 Tips" in each chapter concisely highlight important topics. Samples of useful forms and documents are available in chapter appendices. A PowerPoint presentation and templates for role play/simulation scenarios for faculty use are also available.

Key Features:

Deborah Dolan Hunt, PhD, MS, RN, is associate professor of nursing and chair of the master's program at the College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, New York. She has spent most of her career in nursing education, initially in staff development and currently in an academic setting. She is currently serving as one of the coleads for the New York State Future of Nursing's Action Coalition in the Northern Metropolitan Region and is a member of the advisory board for the Advance Healthcare Network. Dr. Hunt is also a member of Community Board 10 in the Bronx and the chairperson of its health and human services committee. She is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and an ambassador and merit reviewer for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. In addition, Dr. Hunt is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and has received the Zeta Omega research award for her doctoral dissertation. She was also the Sigma Theta Tau Zeta Omega Scholar from 2010 to 2011. Her research interests concern nursing turnover, job satisfaction, leadership, patient outcomes, and new nurse transition. Dr. Hunt's scholarly pursuits and teaching specialties include nursing education, the history of nursing, medical-surgical nursing, and transcultural nursing. She is the author of The New Nurse Educator, Second Edition (Springer Publishing, 2018) and The Nurse Professional: Leveraging Your Education for Transition Into Practice (Springer Publishing, 2014). Dr. Hunt has published many articles and has presented locally, nationally, and globally.

Contents

Foreword Afaf I. Meleis, PhD, DrPS (hon), FAAN

Preface

Acknowledgments

PART I: FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESS

  1.   Introduction and Overview—World of Professional Nursing

  2.   Academic Foundations for Your Future Role

  3.   Self-Care, Advocacy, and Resiliency

  4.   Portfolio Development

  5.   Quality and Safety Issues

  6.   Legal, Moral, and Ethical Issues

PART II: THE PATH FROM GRADUATION TO NCLEX SUCCESS AND FIRST NURSING POSITION

  7.   The Path to NCLEX Success

  8.   Strategies for Securing Your First Position

PART III: TRANSITION INTO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

  9.   Role of the Graduate Nurse

10.   Strategies for Successful Transition

11.   Clinical Practice

12.   Delegation

13.   Leadership Development

14.   Issues and Solutions in Your New Role

15.   Violence and Bullying in the Workplace

16.   Journaling

PART IV: ROLE DEVELOPMENT: FROM ADVANCED PRACTITIONER AND BEYOND

17.   Networking and Professional Development

18.   Understanding Various Health Care Agencies/Accrediting Bodies

19.   Future Roles, Advanced Education, Advanced Practice Certifications, and Continuing Education

20.   Developing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals and Objectives

Index

"Description: Derived from her decades of experience mentoring nursing students and new graduates, the author offers strategies for new nurses' successful transition to clinical practice.

Purpose: The purpose is to provide strategies and tools for graduate nurses to transition effectively into professional clinical practice, leveraging their academic preparation. It addresses the challenges and the support and knowledge helpful for making the transition to practice, with the goal of retaining nurses in the profession. Because of the high prevalence of new nurse turnover, the objectives to provide strategies to retain professional nurses are timely and appreciated.

Audience: The audience is students in nursing programs. The book could be useful for nursing educators as a platform to address specific issues, challenges, and strategies in more depth.

Features: The book is structured in four parts: foundations for success; the path from graduation to NCLEX success and first nursing position; transition into professional practice; and role development for advanced practitioner and beyond. Each chapter begins with a quote and objectives to guide readers. Subheadings, tables, exemplars, appendixes, and figures emphasize content. After each chapter, a summary, discussion questions, suggested learning activities and references guide student learning and could be useful to educators for developing content in more depth. No website resources are included with this book for students or educators. However, the preface provides an email address for qualified instructors to inquire about materials from the publisher.

Assessment: This is a useful resource for nursing students as a guide to navigating nursing education, successfully entering clinical practice, and advancing as a nursing professional. Nursing educators may expand on concepts from this book in classroom and clinical contexts to support students' successful transition to active clinical practice."

-- Kathy M. Forrest, MSN, MA, BSN