Development Strategies in Medical Education

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Razban F, Alizadeh A, Pourbahaaddini Zarandy N. Discrepancy in role expectation during transition from nursing student to practice nurse as perceived by novice nurses. DSME 2026; 13 (1) :19-32
URL: http://dsme.hums.ac.ir/article-1-511-en.html

Introduction: The transition from the role of a nursing student to that of a professional nurse is accompanied by encountering new and sometimes different expectations in the workplace. Newly graduated nurses may perceive discrepancies between the expectations of the professional nursing role they developed during their university education and the expectations of the clinical setting. This study aimed to determine newly graduated nurses’ perceptions of differences in nursing role expectations during the transition from university to the workplace in Kerman, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study included 131 newly graduated nurses working in four hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Participants were recruited through census sampling. The participants completed the “Perception of Role Expectations” questionnaire for two settings: the university setting and the clinical workplace. The difference between the scores for the two settings was then calculated. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired-samples t-test to compare the two settings within individuals, and an independent-samples t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine differences in discrepancy scores according to demographic and background variables, using SPSS version 21.
Results: Participants rated nursing role expectations as higher in the clinical workplace than during university education across all domains, and the differences were statistically significant in all seven domains (P<0.05). Married nurses reported less discrepancy in the domain of “managing unstable conditions” (P=0.04). In addition, having the opportunity to choose their workplace was associated with lower levels of discrepancy in some nursing role domains.
Discussion: The findings indicate a perceived discrepancy between nursing role expectations during university education and those in the clinical workplace. Greater coordination between educational and clinical institutions regarding role expectations, together with preparatory programs and workplace orientation, may facilitate the professional transition of newly graduated nurses. Given the cross-sectional and self-reported nature of the study, the findings should be interpreted with caution.