Experiences of newly hired nurses during the Covid-19 emergency: descriptive qualitative research

Giovanna Casella; Maurizio Beretta; Francesca Costa; Daniela Opizzi; Pierangela Pompini; Sara Posla; Rosaria Sanfratello; Massimo Guasconi; Cinzia Merlini

doi:10.23750/abm.v94i3.14343

Experiences of newly hired nurses during the Covid-19 emergency: descriptive qualitative research

Authors

Giovanna Casella “Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale” (Local Health Service) di Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Parma, Italy; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8147-1645
Maurizio Beretta “Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale” (Local Health Service) di Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Parma, Italy; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7004-7045
Francesca Costa “Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale” (Local Health Service) di Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Parma, Italy;
Daniela Opizzi “Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale” (Local Health Service) di Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Parma, Italy;
Pierangela Pompini “Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale” (Local Health Service) di Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Parma, Italy;
Sara Posla “Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale” (Local Health Service) di Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Parma, Italy;
Rosaria Sanfratello “Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale” (Local Health Service) di Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Parma, Italy;
Massimo Guasconi “Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale” (Local Health Service) di Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Parma, Italy; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8855-8919
Cinzia Merlini “Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale” (Local Health Service) di Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Parma, Italy;

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v94i3.14343

Keywords:

Covid-19, New hire nurse, Qualitative research

Abstract

Background and aim of the work: The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increased demand for healthcare professionals, particularly nurses. The Piacenza Local Health Service, Northern Italy, issued several calls for tenders in order to recruit nurses and the University anticipated graduation sessions, so several new graduates nurses found themselves facing their first work experience in the middle of the pandemic emergency. It is well known that being a first-time employee causes stress, but there are few studies yet investigating the perception of newly employed nurses during the pandemic. The aim of this research is therefore to describe the experience of these nurses. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted through interviews. The research was approved by the 'Area Vasta Emilia Nord Ethics Committee. Results: 14 nurses were interviewed and nine themes were found. Emotions, awareness, job opportunities, professional liability, organisational aspects and relationship with the other. Conclusions: Our study shows how stress, anxiety and feelings of inadequacy characterise new nurses' entry into the workplace. Emotional support strategies, such as counselling and emergency preparedness training, could help early career professionals to cope with complex and emotionally charged clinical care situations with greater resilience. Study registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05110859.

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