Experiences of peer support for newly qualified nurses in a dedicated online group: Study protocol.

Aim: To explore experiences of online peer support for newly qualified nurses.

Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis.

Method: Phase one involves conducting focus groups with newly qualified nurses in the West Midlands area to refine the online peer support environment. Phase two involves 30-40 new nurses joining an online peer group for 3 months; participants will be able to access a general chat community alongside a more structured discussion board. Phase 3 will collect written interview data from all participants about their experiences of online peer support. Face-to-face interviews with 10-12 participants will also be undertaken. The study will run from May 2018-October 2019.

Findings: Data from focus groups, written and verbal interviews will be analysed using thematic analysis with the aid of NVivo software. Findings will be disseminated to participants and key stakeholders involved in the study and also via publication and networking events.

Conclusion: If online peer support is found to be beneficial to new nurses, it may be adopted by local NHS trusts as part of an innovation scheme.

Impact: It is important that the psychological well-being of nurses is addressed as more nurses are now leaving than joining the profession; this is an international concern. Online peer support may offer a sustainable and accessible means of promoting psychological well-being in the nursing workforce. In such a way, contributory factors to low retention rates such as burnout, stress and job dissatisfaction may also be reduced.