Advanced Beginner to Competent Practitioner: New Graduate Nurses’ Perceptions of Strategies That Facilitate or Hinder Development

How to Obtain Contact Hours by Reading This Issue Instructions: 1.3 contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded after you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at http://goo.gl/gMfXaf . In order to obtain contact hours you must: 1. Read the article, “Advanced Beginner to Competent Practitioner: New Graduate Nurses’ Perceptions of Strategies That Facilitate or Hinder Development,” found on pages 392–400, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz. 2. Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study. 3. Go to the Villanova website to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name, contact information, and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated. This activity is valid for continuing education credit until August 31, 2018 . Contact Hours This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated. Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Objectives Review the findings from a study that explored new graduate nurses’ perceptions of strategies that influenced their development in their first 2 years of employment. Explain two major factors that play a role in transforming from an advanced beginner to a competent nurse. Disclosure Statement Neither the planners nor the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose. Background: New graduate nurses (NGNs) are a precious resource, but their development from advanced beginners to competent nurses is challenging. Method: This qualitative descriptive study explored NGNs’ perceptions of strategies that influenced their development in the first 2 years of employment. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a sample of 13 nurses. Results: The study revealed that NGNs learn to master aspects of the nursing role as they construct a professional identity. They identified organizational, educational, and personal strategies as being important to their development, including tailored orientation, opportunities for skill acquisition, and personal support. Few strategies supported the development of professional identity. Conclusion: Mastering the nursing role and constructing a professional identity is central to NGNs’ development. Further attention from nursing leaders is needed to promote concurrent development in both dimensions. Nurses with a strong professional identity are more likely to remain in the profession. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2015;46(9):392–400.