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There is often a disconnect between what individuals expect from a chosen profession or organization and what that profession or organization can realistically deliver. In this research, the authors consider the extent to which those considering a nursing career would benefit from advance information, generally described as a "realistic job preview," from human resources professionals. Results of a survey of faculty nurses-those educating aspiring nurses-suggest that such a need exists. Implications for the initial entry into nursing education, continuing education, and retention of nurses that may be of value to policy makers and those involved in the education and development of nurses are presented.
J Contin Educ Nurs 2009;40(7):317-323.
There is often a discrepancy between what individuals expect in terms of need satisfaction from a chosen profession or organization and what that profession or organization can realistically deliver. Virtually all professions and organizations have combinations of working conditions and cultural imperatives that can be either satisfying, dissatisfying, or both. When this is the case, those entering the profession need to know in advance what they are getting into before embarking on a career path or accepting a job in an organization.
One of the main human resources challenges in the health care sector is the retention of a competent work force (Barney, 2002). This is particularly the case regarding nurse retention and turnover (Atencio, Cohen, & Gorenberg, 2003; Cangelosi, Markham, & Bounds, 1998; Chan, McBey, Basset, O'Donnell, & Winter, 2004; Chan & Morrison, 2000).
In this research, the authors consider the extent to which those considering nursing as a career would benefit from advance information, generally described as a "realistic job preview," from human resources professionals on the realities of working in nursing. The results of a survey of faculty nurses-those involved in the education of nurses-are reported and suggest that such a need exists. Finally, implications for the initial and continuing education and retention of nurses that may be of value to policy makers and those involved in the education and development of nurses are discussed.
As Ward and Berkowitz (2002) suggest, novice nurses find themselves in the antipodes of the world they imagined as students. As a result, nurses frequently wonder about the career choice they made and what they should...