Date
12-19-2023
Department
School of Nursing
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Chair
Kara Schacke
Keywords
Graduate, Nurse, Generation Z, Transition, Intensive Care Unit
Disciplines
Nursing
Recommended Citation
Loveitt, Matthew Robert, "The Lived Experiences of the Newly Graduated Generation "Z": Registered Nurse Entering the Intensive Care Unit" (2023). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5074.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5074
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to illuminate, understand, and describe the meaning of the lived experiences of Gen Z new graduate registered nurses (NGRNs) transitioning directly into the ICU in their first position as registered nurses. Duchscher’s stages of transitional theory and the Strauss-Howe generational theory provided this study’s theoretical framework, focusing on the Gen Z NGRN transition into practice. This study answered the following central research question: What is the lived experience of Gen Z NGRNs transitioning into the ICU work environment employed in their first position as registered nurses? Data were collected for this study through one-on-one interviews with Gen Z NGRNs describing their experiences transitioning into the ICU. The data were analyzed and coded, and themes were generated following Moustakas’s modified phenomenological data analysis method to reveal the essence of the participants’ lived experiences. Incorporating Moustakas’ data analysis method, seven themes were revealed from the participants’ interviews. The seven themes from the data analysis included mental health, team support, new graduate strengths, obstacles, academic preparation, building a foundation, and desire to work in the ICU. Findings from this study may provide healthcare organizations with new information on designing and adapting onboarding and orientation practices explicitly tailored to the Gen Z NGRN transitioning into practice, improving satisfaction and retention and positively impacting staff shortages.
