Executive director's update

Nurses caring for nurses

During open forum at a recent provincial council meeting, one of several students in attendance said that she and her classmates were seeking support and encouragement in their clinical practice experiences. Over the past few months, I have heard many students express the same need for the guidance and support of more senior nurses whom they see as role models and mentors. While working conditions often hinder the ability of senior nurses to share their knowledge with new graduates, all RNs can promote the retention and recruitment of colleagues by supporting nursing graduates in small, but meaningful ways, in their own practice settings. The latest statistics on Canada's registered nurses workforce, released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), show a decrease in the number of students choosing nursing as a career. Two out of 10 nursing graduates from the class 1991 had opted out of the profession by 1995, according to a study released last year by the Canadian Nurses Association. While neither report specifies the exact causes of this shift out of the occupation, many RNs would point to some obvious causes including: unreasonable workloads, lack of permanent employment and the inability to fully utilize their skills and education.

I realize that the attractiveness of registered nursing as a career depends on numerous joint nursing and government strategies advocated by nursing groups like the CNA and the AARN. However, each RN can extend simple gestures of support to new nurses and help create a better first impression for people entering the profession.

Please support students and new graduates in your workplace and help them make the transition from educational institution to the practice setting. Show an interest in them personally. Invite them-o join you for coffee. Provide them with the benefit of your wisdom and experience. Enjoy their youthful idealism. You might rediscover some of your own in the process. The time you spend helping a student or a new graduate can make a difference in their life and yours.

DONNA HUT ON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

1-800-252-9392, ext 509

E-mail: dbutton@nurses.ab.ca

Copyright Alberta Association of Registered Nurses Dec 2001
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