Nursing school did not adequately prepare me for this role" and "Why didn't anyone tell me about this when I was a student?" are commonly heard complaints from new nurses during their first two "rite of passage" years following graduation. But this transition to professional practice-fraught with challenges, anxiety, triumphs and tears-does not have to be so difficult. The Nurse Professional helps novices to prepare for their transition into a "real world" role from student role through graduation, NCLEX success, job search, first job, and beyond. It is the only book to cover all of the steps that new nurses must take to ensure a smooth transition into the professional role.

The author is a nurse educator and mentor with extensive experience in recruiting and orienting nurses. Dr. Hunt also is co-founder of the Nurse Advocacy Forum, providing advocacy, support, networking, professional development, leadership, and mentoring to students and new graduate nurses. She offers sound advice regarding the most current issues facing new nurses and practical strategies for getting a job of one's choice, describes steps to take well before graduation to ensure a smooth transition to professional practice, and addresses the various indicators of academic achievement, that are required for employment at some nursing facilities.

She also discusses the benefits of externships, internships, professional development, and networking, how to develop a winning portfolio, and how to successfully transition into professional practice. It provides information workplace bullying and how to deal with it, the importance of self-care, self-advocacy and networking; writing a resume; interview skills; and much more. The book's website includes PowerPoint slides and templates for role play/simulation scenarios for faculty use.

Key Features:

• "Top Ten Tips" in each chapter concisely highlight important topics.
• Samples of useful forms and documents are available in the Appendix.
• Delivers specific, practical strategies and exercises for a successful transition and entry into practice
• Written by an experienced nurse/educator and nurse mentor with extensive experience regarding how new nurses transition into practice

"Description: Derived from her decades of experience mentoring nursing students and new graduates, the author offers strategies for new nurses' successful transition to clinical practice. Purpose: The purpose is to provide strategies and tools for graduate nurses to transition effectively into professional clinical practice, leveraging their academic preparation. It addresses the challenges and the support and knowledge helpful for making the transition to practice, with the goal of retaining nurses in the profession. Because of the high prevalence of new nurse turnover, the objectives to provide strategies to retain professional nurses are timely and appreciated. Audience: The audience is students in nursing programs. The book could be useful for nursing educators as a platform to address specific issues, challenges, and strategies in more depth. Features: The book is structured in four parts: foundations for success; the path from graduation to NCLEX success and first nursing position; transition into professional practice; and role development for advanced practitioner and beyond. Each chapter begins with a quote and objectives to guide readers. Subheadings, tables, exemplars, appendixes, and figures emphasize content. After each chapter, a summary, discussion questions, suggested learning activities and references guide student learning and could be useful to educators for developing content in more depth. No website resources are included with this book for students or educators. However, the preface provides an email address for qualified instructors to inquire about materials from the publisher. Assessment: This is a useful resource for nursing students as a guide to navigating nursing education, successfully entering clinical practice, and advancing as a nursing professional. Nursing educators may expand on concepts from this book in classroom and clinical contexts to support students' successful transition to active clinical practice." - Doody's Review Service