BACKGROUND: Job satisfaction is a key factor for the successful transition of newly graduated nurses (NGNs) and for retaining NGNs in their workplaces. However, there is limited evidence of the relationship between satisfaction regarding the nursing education program and NGNs' job satisfaction in the first year after graduation. Therefore, this study aims to examine the association of the nursing education related factors and NGNs' job satisfaction. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design with the utilization of data collected from the same respondents one year earlier as educational factors was applied. The data were collected from NGNs (n = 557) in 10 European countries using an electronic survey between February 2019 and September 2020, and analyzed in detail for four countries (n = 417). Job satisfaction was measured with three questions: satisfaction with current job, quality of care in the workplace, and nursing profession. Nursing education related factors were satisfaction with nursing education program, level of study achievements, nursing as the 1st study choice, intention to stay in nursing, and generic nursing competence. The data were analyzed statistically using logistic regression. RESULTS: Most of the NGNs in the 10 countries were satisfied with their current job (88.3%), the quality of care (86.4%) and nursing profession (83.8%). Finnish, German, Lithuanian and Spanish NGNs' satisfaction with the nursing education program at graduation was statistically significantly associated with their job satisfaction, i.e., satisfaction with their current job, the quality of care, and the nursing profession. Moreover, NGNs who had fairly often or very often intention to stay in nursing at graduation were more satisfied with their current job, with the quality of care, and with the nursing profession compared with NGNs who had never or fairly seldom intention to stay in nursing at graduation. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing education plays a significant role in NGNs' job satisfaction one year after graduation, indicating the importance to start career planning already during nursing education. Both nursing education providers and healthcare organizations could plan in close collaboration a transition program for NGNs to ease the transition phase and thus increase the NGNs' job satisfaction and ultimately the high-quality care of the patients.

• Keywords
• Intention to stay, Job satisfaction, Newly graduated nurse, Nursing, Nursing education, Transition,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

AIM: To examine the overall level of self-assessed competence of final-year nursing 'bachelors' degree students in the Czech Republic. In addition, the study aimed at the factors associated with the students' level of competence. DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study. METHODS: Data were collected with the Czech version of the Nurse Competence Scale from 274 final-year nursing students of the bachelor's nursing program. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Majority of the students (80.3%) assessed their level of competence as good or very good. The highest level of competence was assessed in the category of 'managing situations' (VAS mean 67.8) and 'work role' (VAS mean 67.2). Previous work experience in healthcare and successful supervisory experience had a positive association with self-assessed competence. Students who completed clinical placement during the COVID-19 pandemic assessed their level of competence as lower than students before the pandemic. No Patient or Public Contribution.

• Keywords
• COVID-19, Czech Republic, nurse competence scale, nursing education, nursing students, professional competence, self-assessment,
• MeSH
• COVID-19 * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Pandemics MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Students, Nursing * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Observational Study MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

AIM: To describe nursing students' level of self-directed learning abilities and identify possible factors related to it at graduation in six European countries. DESIGN: A cross-sectional comparative design across the countries. METHODS: The study was conducted from February 2018 to September 2019. Nursing students (N = 4,135) from the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain were invited to respond to the research instruments (the Self-Rating Scale of Self-Directed Learning and the Nurse Competence Scale) at graduation. The data were analysed using the chi-square test, Pearson correlation coefficient and the linear model. RESULTS: The nursing students' (N = 1,746) overall self-directed learning abilities were at high level in all countries. Statistically significant differences occurred between countries. Spanish nursing students reported the highest level of self-directed learning abilities while students from the Czech Republic reported the lowest. Higher level of self-directed learning abilities was related to several factors, particularly with the self-assessed level of competence and country.

• Keywords
• Europe, competence, graduating nursing student, nursing education, self-directed learning,
• MeSH
• Intelligence MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Students, Nursing * MeSH
• Learning MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH

New nurses are needed in healthcare. To meet the role expectations of a registered nurse, nursing students must feel empowered at graduation. However, there are only a few studies focusing on nursing students' empowerment. This study aims to describe and analyze graduating nursing students' level of empowerment in six European countries and potential related factors. A comparative and cross-sectional study was performed in the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain with graduating nursing students (n = 1746) using the Essential Elements of Nurse Empowerment scale. Potentially related factors included age, gender, a previous degree in health care, work experience in health care, graduation to first-choice profession, intention to leave the nursing profession, level of study achievements, satisfaction with the current nursing programme, clinical practicums, theoretical education, and generic competence measured with the Nurse Competence Scale. The data were analysed statistically. Graduating nursing students' self-assessed level of empowerment was moderate, with statistical differences between countries. Those with high empowerment had no intention to leave the nursing profession, had a higher level of study achievements, and a higher self-assessed generic competence level. The results suggest that empowerment needs to be enhanced during nursing education. Further research is needed to understand the development of empowerment during the early years of a nursing career.

• Keywords
• competence, empowerment, intention to leave, nursing education, nursing students,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH