Exploring experienced nurses’ views, attitudes and expectations of graduate nurses in the operating theatre

Abstract

While the new graduate nurse journey has been well documented, little research exists from the perspective of the experienced nurse, particularly in the perioperative environment. Barriers to graduate nurse support need to be understood, as job satisfaction, nurse wellbeing and quality of patient care can be negatively affected.

The aim of this study was to explore experienced nurses’ views about, attitudes towards and expectations of graduate nurses in the operating theatre. Data collection was undertaken using face-to-face, unstructured, in-depth interviews. An interpretive hermeneutic approach was used, allowing interpretation of the data and eliciting meaning from the participants’ stories.