Abstract
Background: The experience of the organisational workplace culture for new graduate mental health nurses plays an important role in their attraction and retention in the discipline. Conversely, other research indicates that a negative workplace culture contributes to their dissatisfaction and attrition rate.
Method: An ethnographic research design explored the subcultural experiences of new graduate nurses as they encountered mental health nursing. Data were collected between April and September 2017 across six separate Australian, New South Wales, mental health units. Data comprised of semi-structured interviews (n = 24) and 31 episodes of field observation (62 hours). A total of 26 new graduate and recent graduate nurses participated in the study – 14 new graduate nurses and 12 recently graduated nurses.
Results: A key finding from this study was the apparent difficulty new graduate participants had in articulating the role of the mental health nurse. Participants described a dichotomy between their ideological view of the mental health nurse and the reality of clinical practice. The participants’ ideological view of the mental health nurse involved providing holistic and individualised care within a flexible framework. Participants however described feeling powerless to change the recovery practices within the mental health service due to their low status within the hierarchy, resulting in choosing to fit into the existing culture, or considering abandoning the field altogether.
Conclusion: An incongruence between the values and ideals of an organisational culture and the ‘reality shock’ of practice are shown to contribute to role ambiguity within its members. New graduate nurses entering the culture of mental health nursing describe role ambiguity resulting in dissatisfaction with practice. This presentation argues that the culture and philosophy inherent in a service are crucial to creating a positive experience for new graduate nurses.
Method: An ethnographic research design explored the subcultural experiences of new graduate nurses as they encountered mental health nursing. Data were collected between April and September 2017 across six separate Australian, New South Wales, mental health units. Data comprised of semi-structured interviews (n = 24) and 31 episodes of field observation (62 hours). A total of 26 new graduate and recent graduate nurses participated in the study – 14 new graduate nurses and 12 recently graduated nurses.
Results: A key finding from this study was the apparent difficulty new graduate participants had in articulating the role of the mental health nurse. Participants described a dichotomy between their ideological view of the mental health nurse and the reality of clinical practice. The participants’ ideological view of the mental health nurse involved providing holistic and individualised care within a flexible framework. Participants however described feeling powerless to change the recovery practices within the mental health service due to their low status within the hierarchy, resulting in choosing to fit into the existing culture, or considering abandoning the field altogether.
Conclusion: An incongruence between the values and ideals of an organisational culture and the ‘reality shock’ of practice are shown to contribute to role ambiguity within its members. New graduate nurses entering the culture of mental health nursing describe role ambiguity resulting in dissatisfaction with practice. This presentation argues that the culture and philosophy inherent in a service are crucial to creating a positive experience for new graduate nurses.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 19-19 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Oct 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | Special Issue:ACMHN's 44th International Mental Health Nursing Conference Mental Health is a Human Right 24–26 October 2018 Pullman Cairns International, Cairns, Australia - Duration: 24 Oct 2018 → 26 Oct 2018 |
Conference
| Conference | Special Issue:ACMHN's 44th International Mental Health Nursing Conference Mental Health is a Human Right 24–26 October 2018 Pullman Cairns International, Cairns, Australia |
|---|---|
| Period | 24/10/18 → 26/10/18 |
