Nurse Transition Case Study

Introduction Transitioning from Registered Nurse (RN) to Nurse Practitioner (NP) can bring many challenges. This transition begins when a person starts graduate education and doesn’t end until a few years after gaining the position of NP. Having a proper support system, a job that is interesting, and a keen sense of self-awareness are all important factors to a successful transition. Using appropriate coping mechanisms can make this transition much easier. Knowing the possible obstacles and understanding how to overcome them will also ease the change.

Role Stress and Strain

One of the many causes of stress for a new nurse practitioner is a lack of orientation period. Studies show improved confidence and ability in RNs with appropriate orientation

The skills acquisition concept poses a backwards movement in progress. The competent nurse in this case steps backward down the ladder to the novice level as an NP. Moreover, learning new skills, knowledge, and methods of treatment may technically be a step forward in a person’s career, but it is a step backwards in confidence and experience. The transition theory suggests transition as a never-ending process. The success of this course depends on a person’s support system and methods for coping. The transition theory has three stages: moving in, moving through and moving out. The moving in stage would be entering graduate education. Moving through is the process of completing classes and clinical time. The final stage, moving out, is beginning the first position as an NP. Successfully transitioning through these stages is heavily reliant on support, self-awareness and coping mechanisms. For instance, failure to begin the transition phase in graduate school is a prediction of the inability to properly shift into the role of NP (Poronsky,

Transitioning from RN to NP has proven to be difficult for new RNs and those with many years of experience. For illustration, the newer RNs that transition to NP struggle because they haven’t completed their transition into the role of RN when they begin graduate school. Fully transitioning into a new role begins in school and ends a few years after gaining the new position. RNs that have many years of experience struggle to let go of being an RN in order to become an NP. Role separation is a bigger challenge for experienced RNs than it is for newer RNs (Steiner, McLaughlin, Hyde, Brown, & Burman, 2008). I personally feel my longer experience as an RN will help guide me through school, give me better insight while learning new information because I will have more real life experiences to compare to, and provide better job opportunities after graduation due to the many years of networking with physicians, NPs, and administrators.

Impact of Role Change Changing roles from RN to NP can have a big impact on the person, their family, and the workplace. A lack of support from administrators, co-workers, and mentors can lead to a failure of transition. Balancing the loss of the role as RN while expanding the role of NP can be a challenge. This challenging transition requires confidence. Confidence is most successful