COPING STRATEGIES OF NEWLY HIRED REGISTERED NURSES IN SELECTED PRIVATE HOSPITALS IN BULACAN

Abstract

Nurses often make many transitions during the course of a career. The transition to the role of a staff nurse can be difficult for some nurses as it takes time to become oriented to hospital protocols and procedures. This study explores the coping strategies utilized by the newly hired nurses in dealing with the different problems in a new environment. The study’s total population were 27 nurses which came from selected private hospitals in Bulacan which includes Marcelo-Padilla Hospital, Sto. Nino Hospital, Rugay General Hospital, and Sagrada Familia Hospital. Descriptive method was used to describe the conditions or relationships that exist, opinions that were expressed, processes and effects that are evident or trends that are developed. The research problem includes the common work-related difficulties that a newly hired nurse experienced while working in a private hospital, the strategies that they are using to cope in different problems they are facing in the hospital setting, and the most and least utilized coping strategies used by newly hired nurses. The most common problem that a newly hired nurses’ experienced was difficulty handling many patients as a result of nursing staff shortage. The most common coping strategy they utilized was participation in skills training while the least common were reading books, reviewing lectures, reading journals and online updates.

Keywords: Hired Nurses, Problems Encountered, Coping Strategies