Foundations for growth: lived experiences of nurses one year after a clinical nursing introduction programme

Background Discrepancies between academic nursing education and the realities of clinical practice may contribute to challenges during the transition from student to professional nurse. To address this, many countries and hospitals have implemented clinical introduction programmes for newly graduated nurses. However, limited knowledge exists regarding how these programmes influence nurses’ experiences of transitioning into their professional role over time. Objectives This study seeks to explore the lived experiences of nurses one year after completing a clinical nursing introduction programme, two years post-graduation. Design The study adopted a qualitative descriptive phenomenological design. Setting The setting was a general hospital in southwest Sweden. Participants The participants comprised 12 registered nurses two years after graduation who had completed a one-year clinical nursing introduction programme. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative thematic analysis grounded in descriptive phenomenology. Findings Three themes were identified: A hunger for more, responsibility for being a caring nurse, and becoming self-aware and self-confident. Two years post-graduation and one year after completing the clinical nursing introduction programme, nurses expressed a strong drive for ongoing professional and personal growth, characterized by curiosity and a desire for autonomy. They emphasized responsibility for delivering patient-centred care, often prioritizing caring values to the extent of considering leaving workplaces that failed to support these ideals. Finally, participants reported increased confidence and self-awareness, viewing help-seeking as a sign of professional security rather than weakness. This development was supported by collegial relationships and reflective discussions on ethical dilemmas. Conclusions The clinical nursing introduction programme may provide an important foundation for ongoing professional and personal growth. The findings suggest that protected time, peer interaction, reflective practice, and supportive management were perceived as contributing to a developmental trajectory from ‘being’ to ‘becoming’ a nurse, while supporting lifelong learning, caring values, and clinical confidence. However, these perceived longer-term benefits should be interpreted with caution, as they may also reflect broader processes of professional maturation and workplace socialisation. The findings indicate that introduction programmes that incorporate opportunities for reflection, collegial support, and leadership engagement may help support the continued development of competence and confidence beyond the programme period.