The role of physical design and informal communication

turnover, exploring ways to create a less-stressful working environment in an effort to
attract and retain nurses is critical.
1.5 Graduate Nurse Transition and Stress
Within the general body of literature examining the role of stress in nursing,
there is a growing body of literature on the experience of new graduate nurses as they
transition from student to registered nurse. It is well documented that new nurse
graduates experience significant levels of stress as they shift from school to the
workforce. In fact, the first three to six months of employment following graduation
represents the most stressful time in nurses’ careers (Fisher and Connelly, 1989). In
her study examining the transition experiences of graduate nurses, Delaney (2003)
found that stress is the “most powerful, common experience” of graduate nurses.
According to Marlene Kramer’s seminal work (1974) on the phenomenon
known as “reality shock,” stress and frustration dominate graduate nurses’ feelings as
they transition to becoming a qualified nurse. Kramer described the concept of reality
shock as graduate nurses enter the role of a registered nurse to find themselves
unprepared for the roles they believed they were prepared for. Studies have supported
Kramer’s theory: the literature consistently cites that a major cause of stress
experienced by graduate nurses is the feeling that they do not have sufficient
knowledge to function independently on a hospital ward. A statement by a graduate
nurse in the previously mentioned study by Delaney (2003) provides a telling account
of this feeling that typifies the transitional experience of new nurse graduates: “I
thought, I'm the RN now, so I have to know the answers. I can't say I'm a student
anymore. I worry about not knowing enough, not knowing what to do. Should I do
this, or should I do that? Did I miss anything?” Other research supports this view.
Newton and McKenna (2007) conducted focus group interviews of graduate nurses to
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