Expert Insights: Perspectives on Improving Transition to Nursing Practice in the Digital Age

Author: Ms. Leona Paula L. Macalintal has been in the clinical nursing practice for 13 years. She is the Assistant Vice President and Director of Nursing in one of the tertiary hospitals

The process of transition from student to professional nursing practice has been considered as complex and very challenging, much more after the pandemic. In the recent years, it has been highlighted that nurses experience a lot of challenges when transitioning to their professional roles because of the growing demand for “real-world” ready nursing professionals who can already adapt to the complexities of the healthcare environment. This transition to clinical practice still brings significant anxiety and feelings of instability among novice nurses because the realities of working in a healthcare setting are brought about by increasing responsibilities and accountability which they were not so much used to during their academic years as they were still under the supervision of their clinical instructors.

While there are already programs and initiatives that provide support to novice nurses and promote positive and safe transition into practice, matters become more complicated as healthcare innovations and digitalization set in. The rate of clinical advancement and utilization of innovative technologies in various healthcare settings especially in the hospitals grew exponentially brought about by the impact of the pandemic; thus, adding to the demand of having professional nurses who are expected to learn, adapt and utilize these healthcare innovations at a fast pace when they provide care to patients at the bedside. However, these technologies and innovations were not yet fully embedded in academia, so much so that novice nurses were not prepared and equipped to utilize it in clinical nursing practice, adding to the stress and uncertainty of work expectations. This role conflict can lead to unsafe practices putting patients and nurses at risk. The growing concern over new nurses’ transition to practice in the digital era has also been documented globally in various research studies and forums and is said to influence nursing workforce retention.

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