Reality Shock: A Transitional Challenge Faced By Intern Nurses at Labasa Hospital, Fiji

Introduction and Aim: Transition from being a student nurse to a full time registered nurse is a difficult phase in the lives of intern nurses. During this phase they face many challenges which influence their professional lives as well as their transitional experience. This study aimed to identify the transitional challenges experienced by intern nurses at Labasa Hospital, Fiji. Methodology: This qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach. Data collection through semi structured in-depth interviews commenced after ethical approval was obtained. Each interview lasted between 40 to 60 minutes. The 22 participants were intern nurses of Labasa Hospital, Fiji who were either current intern nurses and had worked for more than 6 months or had completed internship within the past 5 years at Labasa Hospital and currently working as registered nurses within various units in the facility. Written consent was obtained from intern nurses who were willing to participate before the commencement of the interview on a one to one basis. The interview data was transcribed verbatim and interpreted thematically. Results: The intern nurses participating in the study were between the ages of 22 and 26 years old. Only one participant was 46 years old. 10 were current intern nurses while the remaining 12 had completed their internship and working as registered nurses. Reality shock is one of the challenges identified as a subtheme through thematic analysis in this study. The categories identifies under reality shock are role ambiguity, self-doubt, and work environment. Conclusion: The findings of the study identified reality shock as one of the many challenges experienced by intern nurses of today. There is an immediate need for healthcare providers and nursing leaders to recognize and address the reality shock in order to facilitate better transitional experiences for intern nurses. Easing the burden of reality shock will promote a healthy working environment as well as initiate better clinical outcomes.