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Abstract

This descriptive study used the Australian Nursing Council Incorporated (ANCI)
Competencies eighteen major headings as a set of performance criteria to investigate
four aspects of graduate nursing performance:
• the perceptions of registered nurses (RN) (Graduates, Preceptors and Clinical
Nurse Consultants (CNC)) regarding the expected level of graduate nursing
performance at the completion of a Bachelor of Nursing (BN) course, and the
commencement of employment as a registered nurse;
• the perceptions of registered nurses of the actual level of graduate nursing
performance near the completion of the first professional year;
• the components of nursing practice registered nurses believed were critical to a
satisfactory level of graduate nursing performance; and
• the attributes of a Graduate: pe:rc.f':ivf':ci hy registered nurses to represent outstanding
nursing performance.
All Graduates from the University of Tasmania's BN 1996 programme, RN
Preceptors who worked with the Graduates, and the CNC's of the areas where
Graduates were employed were invited to participate in the study.
Findings revealed that Graduates expected to be functioning at a higher level of
performance at the beginning of their graduate year than did the Preceptors and CNCs.
There was little agreement between the three groups. When agreement between pairs
of groups was examined Preceptors and CNCs agreed the most, followed by
Graduates and Preceptors and Graduates and CNCs.
When perceptions were sought regarding Graduates' nursing performance near the
end of their graduate year Graduates again rated their nursing performance higher than
Preceptors and CNCs. There was little agreement between the three groups. When
agreement between pairs of groups was examined Graduates and Preceptors agreed
the most. Overall, the Graduate and Preceptor groups were more consistent than the
CNC group in their rating of Graduate performance.
All three groups identified eight performance criteria that were seen as important to
achieving a satisfactory nursing performance. These critical Competencies could be
interpreted as a beginning description by RNs of their beliefs about "good nursing
practice" and a "good nurse".
For the Graduate group "safe practice" and "personal/professional continuing
education" were the most frequently cited attributes of outstanding Graduate
performance. For the Preceptor and CNC groups the most frequently cited attributes
were "communication skills" and "knowledgeable and skillful caregiving".
The findings of the study would suggest that the Preceptors and CNCs, most
immediately involved in the transition experiences of Graduates, need to discuss and
share expectations and perceptions of graduate nursing performance between
themselves and with the Graduates.

Item Type:	Thesis - Coursework Master
Authors/Creators:	Roberts, Karen Elizabeth
Keywords:	Nurses, Nursing, Graduates, Clinical
Copyright Holders:	The Author
Copyright Information:	Copyright 1998 the Author - The University is continuing to endeavour to trace the copyright owner(s) and in the meantime this item has been reproduced here in good faith. We would be pleased to hear from the copyright owner(s).
Additional Information:	Thesis (MN )--University of Tasmania, 1998. Includes bibliographical references
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