Lived experience of Hispanic new graduate nurses – a qualitative study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To seek understanding of lived experience from the voice of Hispanic new graduate nurses. BACKGROUND: Nurse educators and leaders have called for a more diverse nursing workforce while the body of the literature and knowledge about Hispanic registered nurses in the United States appears underdeveloped. DESIGN: A qualitative approach with a phenomenological methodology was used. METHODS: A purposive sampling of Hispanic new graduate nurses (n = 7) completed a demographic questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The study setting was within the Midwest and the south-west of the United States. RESULTS: There were seven general themes: (1) being an employee, (2) an orientation with or without preceptors, (3) a transition, (4) shadows of doubt, (5) being Hispanic, (6) being bilingual and being pulled, and (7) blessed. Hispanic new graduates would prefer Hispanic preceptors and anticipated that their first employment would be in a hospital setting. CONCLUSION: Hispanic new graduate nurses anticipate, desire and expect orientation programmes and preceptors in acute care and outpatient healthcare settings to aid in their transition from student to professional nurse. Hispanic new graduate nurses described an experience of transition typical of new graduate nurses in the United States, but with added dimensions such as cultural understandings and language proficiency with Spanish. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Appropriate support and interventions for all new graduate nurses across multiple employment settings may retain a diverse nursing workforce appropriately positioned to serve vulnerable populations.