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The purpose of this study was to have a better understanding of the experiences of new nurse graduates in their work environment and the perceived stressors during their transition into the role of registered nurse. BACKGROUND The National Student Nurses' Association conducts an annual survey of all its members who are new graduates in the months following graduation. METHOD The study used a qualitative design on a sample of 1,456 responses. Participants provided typed-in responses. Responses were sorted and coded using constant comparison method. Three independent judges aggregated interpretations through consensus. RESULTS The themes that emerged were related to respondents' attempts to find balance and reflected the stress of the environment, expectations on self, and interactions with others that affected them. CONCLUSION New graduates describe their transitions to the role of new nurse in words that suggest that their workplace environments are extremely stressful.

Background: In March 2020, the nation faced a public health crisis, COVID-19, that prompted a national response of many states issuing state-wide “lock-down” orders. This also forced nursing schools throughout the country to instantly convert to other learning options and many clinicals cancelled, moved to online or simulated experiences. Graduation that year launched nursing students into a healthcare system that was operating in emergency mode facing unprecedented admissions and deaths due to the pandemic. While hiring experienced nurses was a priority for hospital administrators in New York state, at the epicenter of the east coast infections, graduating seniors everywhere faced a different job market and workplace environment. Objectives: The purpose of this secondary analysis focused on variables related to the job search, employment opportunities, and “news” about hiring new graduates in the year of COVID-19, comparing the 2020 reported experiences with previous years and focusing on New York. Using data collected and published by the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA), this study filtered and sorted the variables related to employment, perceptions of the job market, and nursing education experiences of student members who graduated in 2020 and focused to report on New York state vs. national comparisons workforce issues and outcomes of the abrupt educational changes that occurred. Methods: The deidentified data were exported from surveys distributed via SurveyMonkey® by NSNA in the Fall/Winter following Spring 2020 graduation. The data from 2020 included a sample of 3,074 responses that were cleaned, sorted, and coded for the descriptive quantitative analysis. They were filtered to compare New York only, with national graduates’ reported experiences in the job market and their confidence in their nursing practice in their new jobs. Results: The analyses demonstrated significant differences in the comparisons of several employment findings from the national sample versus those from the New York sample. New graduates from New York reported only 59% success in finding jobs, compared to the rate of national new graduates (85%). Their perceived hiring trends, as they searched for jobs, were also different for New York versus those from the national sample. Most importantly, while confidence was affected for all new graduates of 2020, the New York sample reported significantly lower confidence mean scores when compared to the national sample, with associations related to the clinical experiences that were discontinued or simulated online. Conclusion: The results of the survey yielded significant differences in the comparisons of new graduate employment success for the New York state sample compared to the national trends. The greater impact of job searching during the COVID-19 early months on New York graduates can be interpreted upon closer examination of the timeline of the disease escalation and hiring trends.

AIM The aim of this national study was to explore student and faculty personal experiences of ethical dilemmas in nursing education and clinical practice. BACKGROUND Nurses encounter complex ethical dilemmas in practice that can lead to moral distress when they cannot “do the right thing” because of external constraints. METHOD A mixed-methods study via online survey was conducted on senior nursing student members and faculty advisors of the National Student Nurses Association. Over 1,600 students and 600 faculty answered a “two-minute survey” with the question: “Please describe an ethical dilemma you have experienced.” RESULTS Descriptive statistics demonstrated a difference in student and faculty reports about the ethics content they received. The qualitative results from constant comparison of open-ended questions also supported differences in themes from student and faculty perspectives. CONCLUSION This study supports that students and faculty voice their concerns with different ethical dilemmas in their nursing education experiences.

, with "Attention Diane Mancino" in the subject line. * Percentages are rounded. The database used to disseminate the marketing survey electronically was a convenience sample of nursing students who are members of the National Student Nurses' Association. The database contained email addresses for NSNA members who indicated Spring 2011 as their graduation date on their membership record. Total sample was 16,442; 3,733 responses represents a return of 22%.