The introduction to nursing, which is the conversion of theoretical knowledge into practice skills in complex healthcare settings, is emphasized as difficult due to patient safety. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe newly graduated nurses' experiences of introduction to nursing in a medical department (medical, emergency) at a university hospital in western Sweden.
A manifest qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was used based on five semistructured interviews with newly graduated nurses who work in a medical department at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden.
One main category was found, managing uncertainty in the nursing profession, which includes three subcategories, namely, being humble as a newly graduated nurse, being adaptable as a newly graduated nurse and being a staff member instead of a nursing student. This category and these subcategories are described in the results.
The transition from education to registered nurse is a difficult step due to the anxiety that stems from making mistakes regarding limited experience related to the demands and requirements of the job. Therefore, standardized (routines, guidelines) and individualized (experiences) introductions facilitate patient safety. Moreover, person-centeredness ensures that every nurse is a capable person with resources to use in health care, i.e. a partnership within a healthy working environment that transforms novices to experts in nursing.