Application of Transition Theory for Orientation of Experienced Nurses to Radiology and Imaging Nursing

Transition described as the passage between life phases is a universal concept in nursing. Transitions are often accompanied by emotional turmoil, as individuals struggle to redefine themselves and adjust and adapt to new life circumstances. Nurses experience transition when they leave a current role to follow new career pathways or areas of clinical practice. Experienced nurses are highly valued for their requisite skills, clinical judgment, and knowledge and can fill the demand for highly skilled nurses in complex specialized settings such as radiology. However, the transitional process can create uncertainty, fear, and distress for nurses changing clinical practice specialties. Ineffective orientation processes have been linked to higher nurse turnover rates and poor retention within the first year of hiring. The critical demand for competent nurses should drive efforts to ease the transition of these experienced nurses to new clinical areas of practice. The purpose of this project was to develop a transition program for nurses moving into the complex role of interventional radiology nurse. We used Bridges’ transition theory to form our framework of interventions and strategies to help experienced nurses successfully transition and adapt their prior knowledge and skills to radiologic and imaging nursing.