Newly qualified South African nurses' lived experience of the transition from student to community service nurse: a phenomenological study.

BACKGROUND: This study attempted to fill a gap in the published South African literature regarding newly qualified nurses' preparedness for and experience of role transition to a 1-year compulsory commitment of community service nurse.

METHODS: Husserlian descriptive phenomenology, characterized by inductive extraction of units of meaning from transcribed audiotaped recordings, was used to establish the "essence" of the lived experience of role transition. Data were collected from eight participants through two semistructured individual interviews: in July 2011, 2 weeks before the start of community service, and in September 2011, 6 weeks after community service placement.

RESULTS: Findings showed that before placement, participants experienced a sense of achievement in having successfully completed a 4-year diploma program. However, they also experienced uncertainty and fear about the immediate future. In the first month after placement, community service nurses experienced reality shock.

CONCLUSION: Preparation for the role transition from student nurse to graduate community service nurse requires a 4-year structured program that includes training in conflict management, assertiveness, and practical ethics.