A comprehensive, evidence-based guide to transitioning to the professional nursing role

Transition to Nursing Practice: From Student to Professional provides students with a comprehensive introduction into the nursing profession and the capabilities they need for practice. Written by experts in their field, this book takes an evidence-based approach to understanding workplace readiness of graduate nurses.

It presents the theoretical principles that underpin the concept of readiness and asks students to apply these principles in preparation for personal, professional, clinical and industry domains of practice.

Included are case studies and activities to develop students’ understanding of the nursing profession and practical worksheets to help students build a career-ready portfolio. It aims to make a significant contribution to the development of nursing students and assist them in making a seamless transition to their professional role.

KEY FEATURES

• Case studies provide real-life examples of the theoretical principles.
• Making the Transition activities consider the concepts discussed in each chapter, with reference to students own stage and degree of readiness, and assist them in developing their professional nursing portfolio.
• Stop, Reflect and Think questions encourage students to critically reflect on what they have learnt.
• Worksheets and checklists aim to build students confidence as they prepare to enter their first year of practice.

Part 1: Being a Registered Nurse – The Nurse in Contemporary Healthcare
1. Nursing – A professional role
2. Contexts of nursing practice
3. Developing a professional portfolio
Part 2: Becoming a Registered Nurse – A Development Continuum
4. The transition experience
5. The transition continuum
Part 3: Being Practice Ready – The Essential Capabilities
6. Personal readiness
7. Professional readiness
8. Clinical readiness
9. Industry readiness
Part 4: Joining the Profession – Making the Transition
10. Becoming practice ready
11. Finding the right environment to flourish
12. Executing a career plan

Edited by:

Dr Helena Harrison is a Lecturer in Nursing at James Cook University.

Professor Melanie Birks teaches Nursing (Quality and Strategy) at James Cook University.

Professor Jane Mills is the Dean and Head of the La Trobe Rural Health School in Bendigo.

The following resource is available for lecturers who prescribe Transition to Nursing Practice: From Student to Professional for their course:

• Instructor’s Resource Manual with questions and activities to use in workshops and tutorials.

Click here to access the full list of lecturer resources