Title : From overwhelmed to empowered: Reducing anxiety in the transition-to-practice nurse
Abstract:
The transition from nursing student to practicing registered nurse represents one of the most challenging periods in a nurse's professional development. During the first year of practice, newly licensed nurses experience increased accountability, independent clinical decision-making, and rapidly changing patient care responsibilities that frequently contribute to heightened anxiety, reduced confidence, and transition shock. Left unaddressed, excessive anxiety can impair clinical reasoning, working memory, communication, prioritization, and situational awareness, increasing the risk of medical errors, burnout, compassion fatigue, and early workforce attrition. These outcomes have significant implications not only for patient safety but also for healthcare organizations struggling with staffing shortages, nurse retention, and the financial burden associated with turnover. This evidence-based educational presentation synthesizes current literature on anxiety during the transition-to-practice period and examines the individual, workplace, and organizational factors that contribute to psychological distress among newly graduated nurses.
