Translation and Adaptation of the Stages of Transition Theory for Newly Graduated Nurses: A French-Language Resource for Integrating the Next Generation

Abstract

The transition from studies to professional practice is a complex process that is unique to each newly graduated nurse (NGN). When confronted with the realities of clinical practice, NGNs frequently experience negative emotions that contribute to transition shock, such as doubt, confusion, loss of confidence, and disorientation. Although this phenomenon varies in intensity and duration from one NGN to another, it is nonetheless possible to anticipate the sequence of the transition in order to prevent or mitigate the effects of this shock. The stages of transition theory thus appears to be an essential resource for guiding research on the attraction, integration, and retention of the next generation of nurses within health care organizations. This article presents the French translation and adaptation of Duchscher’s (2008) stages of transition theory to the Quebec francophone context. A four-step process was undertaken, inspired by the recommendations of Sousa and Rojjanasrirat (2011) and by the translation and adaptation work of Lavoie et al. (2021). Seven experts in nursing education and the original author contributed to the translation and adaptation. The theory conceptualizes transition as a transformation process that is nonlinear and not strictly progressive during which the NGN evolves both personally and professionally as they move through three stages: doing, being, and knowing/becoming. The article concludes with a discussion of four elements: the methodological considerations that guided the translation and adaptation process; the limits of the theory’s scope; the evolution of integration practices and their implications for the theory; and the application of the theory in practice.