The lived experiences of newly qualified children's nurses.

Aim: This paper reports a study that explored the lived experiences of newly qualified registered children's nurses (RCN) in their transition from postgraduate student nurse to staff nurse.

Research Question: What are the experiences of newly qualified RCNs in their transition from postgraduate student nurse to staff nurse?

Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was chosen for the study and six newly qualified RCNs were interviewed. Data analysis was based on the work of Coliazzi (1978) who devised a seven-step approach to assist the analysis within phenomenological inquiry.

Results: Findings indicate that support is the most important aspect of the transition experience for these nurses. Mentorship and preceptorship programmes facilitate support during the transition period and previous experience prescribes the amount of support required by the newly qualified RCN.

Conclusion: In highlighting the experiences of newly qualified RCNs in their transition from postgraduate student nurse to staff nurse, this study raises awareness among children's nurses, children's nurse educators and children's nursing managers about this unique group of nurses.