IJOMAHIP Published Article Details

Abstract Background. The transition from student life to professional nursing practice is a critical period for newly graduated registered nurses, as they adjust to clinical responsibilities, emotional demands, workplace expectations, and the formation of professional identity. This study explored the lived experiences of newly graduated registered nurses in Surigao City as they transitioned from academic preparation to professional nursing practice. Specifically, it examined how newly registered nurses understood their early professional experiences, how these experiences shaped their meaning of nursing practice, and what essence emerged from their narratives. Methods. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological design anchored on Husserlian transcendental phenomenology, constructivist ontology, and Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological approach. Fifteen Paulinian newly registered nurses who graduated from St. Paul University Surigao in school years 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 and who had worked for the first time in clinical settings for six months to one year participated in the study. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Giorgi’s phenomenological procedures. Results. Six emergent themes were identified: emotions in early nursing experience, motivation through supportive work relationships, work-related stress, stress coping mechanisms, professional growth through experiential learning, and the essence of nursing through service. The findings revealed that newly registered nurses experienced joy, fear, anxiety, emotional sensitivity, workload pressure, exhaustion, and challenges in gaining the trust of patients and families. Despite these difficulties, supportive senior nurses, positive work environments, prayer, emotional regulation, cognitive reframing, and experiential learning helped them develop confidence, adaptability, accountability, and a service-oriented professional identity. Conclusion. The transition to professional nursing practice is emotionally demanding but developmentally formative. Newly registered nurses’ early clinical experiences shaped their professional confidence, resilience, and understanding of nursing as a practice grounded in service. The study recommends structured transition support, mentorship programs, emotional resilience preparation, and stronger school-hospital collaboration to improve the early professional adjustment of newly registered nurses. Keywords: Clinical Adjustment, Newly Registered Nurses, Nursing Identity, Phenomenology, Surigao City, Transition to Practice