The journey from new graduate to proficient nurse in the Intensive Care Unit: A descriptive phenomenological study

The rationale for study was the increased need for critical care services, the shortage of experienced critical care nurses, and the unidentified factors affecting nurse retention after completion of New Graduate/Transition to Practice Program in the critical care area. New graduate nurses were provided with an opportunity to share their experiences as they developed and achieved levels of proficiency over time in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Although most new graduate nurses in New South Wales (NSW) progress through a Transition to Practice Program, limited research has been conducted concerning their lived experience of what they deem to be important about entering and remaining in the work force, especially in ICU. The day-to-day experiences of the participants in an ICU in NSW were explored in order to gain insights into how that experience impacted on the ways in which the neophyte nurse acclimatised and gradually advanced in proficiency and to understand how the experience changed over time.