New tool helps novice nurses bridge the gap between theory and practice

First-year nurses often have difficulties while bridging the gap between educational theory and required workplace practice. In the fast-paced medical field, sufficient guidance is hard to come by, so new nurses must actively learn on their feet through modeling senior nurses' actions and techniques. There are several studies on learning from role models, but no specific tools that focus on new nurses' learning progress through this practice.

A new tool, called the Modeling Scale for Novice Nurses, has been developed by Dr. Yayoi Nagano and Professor Yasuko Hosoda at Osaka Metropolitan University's Graduate School of Nursing. They conducted a questionnaire on modeling among new nurses in Japan and analyzed the responses of 337 people to create the self-assessment tool made up of four subscales and 21 Likert scale questions.

The subscales (Observation, Imitation, Motivation, Inquiry) and questions focused on the nurses' behavior and growth while learning on the job. Using this tool can help senior nurses understand where to provide more in-depth support for junior nurses.

If new nurses can use this tool to understand where improvement is necessary, they will be able to learn more efficiently. As a result, new nurses will be able to work with more confidence and less stress, which should lead to a reduction in staff turnover and an improvement in the quality and safety of patient care."

Dr. Yayoi Nagano, Osaka Metropolitan University's Graduate School of Nursing

The findings were published in the BMC Nursing.