Abstract
AIMS: To explore the lived experiences of transitioning from a student to a nurse while navigating the workplace in their first two years within the profession. DESIGN: A qualitative exploratory study employing Gadamer's hermeneutic phenomenology to inform the interpretive approach, thereby reinforcing the philosophical foundations of the research. METHODS: Twenty-six early career nurses who participated in an initial study as students were followed up and interviewed 18-24 months after graduating between 2020 and 2023. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data and were thematically analysed. COREQ guidelines were followed. RESULTS: Three themes emerged encompassing: Navigating the New World, where early career nurses felt like imposters and ill-prepared to practise; The real world, where early career nurses are pushed to their limits; and A support network, where early career nurses relied on each other and other key members of the professional team to make it through the transitional period of being a new nurse. CONCLUSION: An examination of early career nurses' experiences centred around support, where differences between anticipated and actual support fostered imposter syndrome and feelings of being overwhelmed. While further research to explore the deeper dynamics of the relationships between peers is required, there also remains further research to understand the mechanisms that inform the flow of recently registered nurses out of the workplace or profession altogether. There are opportunities to better link early career nursing peers and capitalise on the empathic nature of these relationships as one solution to workplace and professional turnover. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.