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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Med.
Sec. Healthcare Professions Education
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1458845

The experiences of Newly Qualified Nurses in Intensive Care Unit: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Provisionally accepted
Ligang Wang Ligang Wang 1Yuan Chen Yuan Chen 1*Haiyan Yu Haiyan Yu 1*Linjing Wu Linjing Wu 1*Aijun You Aijun You 2*Xutong Zheng Xutong Zheng 3Yunfei Zhang Yunfei Zhang 1*
  • 1 Xiamen University Affiliated Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen, China
  • 2 Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (Xiamen Branch), Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
  • 3 The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Clinical rotation practicum provides NQNs with more opportunities to learn their professional knowledge and develop basic nursing skills. ICU is often used as one of the clinical practicum departments for NQNs. Nursing shortages have been particularly felt in ICU. Due to the characteristic fast-paced working environments, high acuity of patient care, and technical complexities of an ICU. The experience of NQNs is highly stressful and challenging in these settings, which hinders their professional development and impacts patient care.The study aimed to systematically review and synthesis the findings of qualitative studies exploring experience of NQNs in ICU rotation, to provide a basis for enhancing the quality of clinical nursing.Methods ： Nine databases were systematically searched for relevant publications from inception until February 2024. All qualitative studies in English and Chinese that explored the experience of NQNs in ICU rotation were collected. Two independent reviewers selected the studies and used The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool to evaluate the quality of the studies. Meta-synthesis was performed to integrate the results.Results: A total of 13 studies revealed 5 descriptive themes and 14 sub-themes: ICU readiness, physical and psychological stress, positive self-perception, developing relationships, ICU reflections.Standardized training in ICU, the working ability of NQNs is exercised and their professional quality is improved. However, it's also adversely affected by various stressors. The appropriate guidance and monitoring should be given by hospital managers, so as to promote the development of NQNs and enhance the quality of clinical nursing.

    Keywords: meta-synthesis, Newly qualified nurses, Intensive Care Unit, experience, qualitative research, systematic review PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42023475257

    Received: 03 Jul 2024; Accepted: 14 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Chen, Yu, Wu, You, Zheng and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yuan Chen, Xiamen University Affiliated Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen, China
    Haiyan Yu, Xiamen University Affiliated Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen, China
    Linjing Wu, Xiamen University Affiliated Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen, China
    Aijun You, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (Xiamen Branch), Xiamen, 361015, Fujian Province, China
    Yunfei Zhang, Xiamen University Affiliated Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.