How New Nurses Experience Workplace Belonging: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

A sense of belonging is a need for interpersonal connections; it is a crucial factor that decides whether new graduate nurses can adapt to group working life in a clinical setting. Thus, a detailed understanding of the experience of workplace belonging could assist new graduate nurses adjust to entering the workforce. This study employed the qualitative methodology of phenomenology to examine the meaning of the experiences of workplace belonging of 12 new graduate nurse participants. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews and observations during the interview sessions. After data were collected, they were transcribed verbatim for the purpose of data analysis. New graduate nurses experience related to workplace belonging can be explained using five themes were identified, namely “adjust oneself to blend in,” “not being ignored,” “becoming an ally,” “achieving goals through concerted efforts,” and “sharing emotions and becoming family.” New graduate nurses experience various types of stress when they first start working in a clinical setting, and this is an issue that warrants the attention and support from all health professionals. Nursing managers could apply the findings of the current study to guide their unit colleagues. Identifying methods that could enhance new graduate nurses’ sense of workplace belonging and mutual recognition between employees and their work groups is beneficial for cultivating new graduate nurses’ sense of workplace belonging and facilitating their career growth.