Work readiness of student nurses voluntarily supporting NHS during COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods investigation into students' experiences

Shapiro, Ethan; Piotrowska, Barbara; Sime, Pamela Jane

Abstract

Background: Transition from education to the workforce has been recognised as difficult and linked to 'reality shock.' Due to the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, many student nurses opted in for NHS emergency placements and prematurely transitioned to the workplace, which calls for an in-depth investigation of the work readiness and transition experiences of this cohort. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate self-perceived work readiness, the effectiveness of support provided by the universities and the NHS as well as explore the experiences of student nurses who responded to the COVID-19 crisis to understand the impact of this early transition to the clinical workforce. Design: A mixed methods study was conducted. It included two stages: (1) an online survey consisting of a work readiness questionnaire and close- and open-ended questions about received support; and (2) online semi-structured interviews that were thematically analysed. Methods: Participants were nursing students from Scottish universities who took on emergency NHS placements. Thirty-three (30 females and 3 males) participants completed the survey and 8 of them (all female) participated in semi-structured interviews. The Work Readiness Scale for graduate nurses along with questions about the support received were completed in the first stage of the study. Results: Organisational acumen was perceived by participants as higher than social intelligence, work competence and personal work characteristics. Three superordinate themes emerged: (1) participants expressed appreciation of and need for coordination of support from the university and the NHS as a key factor in easing into their role; (2) they indicated the sense of obligation as the key driver for taking up this placement; (3) placement was seen as an opportunity to understand their role and develop their professional identity. Conclusions: The findings found the importance of support from the clinical placement and academic teams to help with the integration and application of theory into practice.

Citation

Shapiro, E., Piotrowska, B., & Sime, P. J. (online). Work readiness of student nurses voluntarily supporting NHS during COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods investigation into students' experiences. Contemporary Nurse, https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2024.2404843

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 11, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Sep 20, 2024
• Deposit Date: Oct 8, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 8, 2024
• Print ISSN: 1037-6178
• Publisher: e-Content Management
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2024.2404843
• Keywords: COVID-19, emergency placements, readiness, transition to practice