Tough love or bullying? New nurse transitional experiences

Abstract

Aims and objectives: This qualitative paper reports on the transition experiences of new nurses and preceptors in Singapore, focussing on the construction of a supervisor strategy termed 'tough love'. The authors discuss the concept of tough love, as a metaphorical euphemism for workplace bullying and interrogate rationales from the data that behaviours associated with tough love, prepare nurses for independence and competence in their new responsibilities.

Background: Successful transition of new nurses to professional practice is dependent on the transition challenges they face at work. When new nurses are well supported in the clinical environment, retention occurs. However, when workplace adversity intensifies, nurse turnover rates increase.

Design: This qualitative study was conducted using a constructivist grounded theory approach.

Methods: New nurses (n = 26) and preceptors (n = 5) from five different hospitals participated in the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and reflective journal entries and analysed using the constant comparative method.

Findings: Data analysis gave rise to the generation of a definition of tough love, not otherwise identified in the literature, as the negative behaviours of senior nurses towards new nurses, that is rationalised as a well-intentioned but nevertheless abusive strategy, used to condition targets into conforming to expected professional or organisational behaviour.

Conclusions: The authors conclude that tough love behaviour damages the transition experience of new nurses and has the potential to influence decisions on whether to remain in a health organisation and indeed the profession.

Relevance to clinical practice: Given nursing shortages in Singapore and internationally and that the retention of new nurses appears to be part of the problem, tough love behaviours and cultures clearly need to be addressed if investment into training and recruitment are to be realised.

Keywords: bullying; emotional aspects; graduate nurses; grounded theory; job motivation; management; nursing education; nursing workforce; organisational behaviour.