What Matters to You? A Qualitative Investigation of Factors That Influence Aotearoa New Zealand Early-Career Nurses to Thrive in the Workplace
Authors: Satchell Eillish , Jacobs Stephen 
Published: July 2024

Globally, there is a nursing shortage which is expected to worsen in the next two decades. To increase nursing workforce numbers, retention of early-career nurses is vital. One such method stipulated to improve workforce retention is increasing thriving in the workplace. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence the thriving of early-career nurses in Aotearoa New Zealand. Guided by a qualitative descriptive design, this study used semi-structured interviews to explore factors influencing the thriving of New Zealand nurses from an urban hospital. Data analysis was completed using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants included nine early-career nurses. We identified four themes affecting thriving in the workplace: interpersonal relationships, work environment, finding positive meaning, and ongoing learning and development. Early-career nurses experience multiple factors that increase and decrease thriving. Early-career nurses commonly reported high workloads, which affected multiple dimensions of their ability to thrive in the workplace. Interpersonal relationships can increase or decrease elements of thriving at work depending on the nature of the relationship. Early-career nurses also experienced a large amount of job satisfaction from the act of caring. Roles that promoted ongoing learning similarly increased thriving. Early-career nurses play an important role in the future of the Aotearoa New Zealand health workforce. Results from this study can help inform organisations on the experience of thriving for early-career nurses in order to improve retention and wellbeing of early-career nurses. Te reo Māori translation He Aha ngā Mea Nunui ki a Koe? He tūhura kounga i ngā āhuatanga whakaawe i ngā tapuhi tau tuatahi o Aotearoa kia toiora i te wāhi mahi. Ngā Ariā Matua Tērā tētahi korenga tapuhi puta noa i te ao i ēnei rā, ā, e matapaetia ana ka hē kē atu hei ngā ngahuru tau e rua e tū mai mai. He mea taketake te whakapiki i te maha o ngā kaimahi i te ohu mahi, he mea nui te puritanga o ngā tapuhi tau tuatahi. Tētahi tikanga e pēnei ai te pupuru i te kāhui kaimahi ko te whakapiki i te noho taurikura i te wāhi mahi. I whai tēnei tirohanga kia tūhuratia ngā āhuatanga āki i te noho taurikura o ngā tapuhi tau tuatahi i Aotearoa. I aratakina tēnei tirohanga e tētahi hoahoa whakamārama kounga, ā, i whakamahia ētahi uiuinga i āta whakatāhuhutia i roto, hei tūhura i ngā āhuatanga e āki ana i te noho taurikura o ētahi tapuhi tau tuatahi tokoiwa i tētahi hōhipera tāone nui kotahi. I tātaritia ngā raraunga mā te whakamahi i te tātari tāhuhu huritao. I tautohutia e mātou e whā ngā tāhuhu ka pā ki te noho taurikura i roto i te wāhi mahi: ko ngā hononga tangata, te taiao mahi, te kite i ētahi tikanga whai hua mō te tangata, me te akoranga me te whanaketanga tonutanga. Ka hōkai ēnei tāhuhu i ngā āhuatanga mahi i tautohutia hei mea e piki ai, e heke ai rānei ngā wheako taurikura o ngā tapuhi tau tuatahi. E ai ki ngā tapuhi tau tuatahi, mā ngā hononga i te wāhi mahi ka piki, ka heke rānei ētahi āhuatanga o te noho taurikura i te wāhi mahi, kei te āhua tonu o te hononga. I kōrero rātou mō te taumaha o ngā kawenga i te mahi, i pā ki tō rātou āhei kia noho taurikura i te wāhi mahi. He nui hoki tō rātou koa, nā te mahi taurima i te tangata. Waihoki, nā ngā tūranga whakatairanga i te akoranga mutunga kore i piki ai te toiora. He tino nui te wāhi ki ngā tapuhi tau tuatahi mō ngā tau kei mua o te kāhui kaimahi hauora o Aotearoa. Mā ngā kitenga mai i tēnei rangahau ka te taea ētahi atu whakahaere te whakamōhio mō te wheako nei, o te noho taurikura o ngā tapuhi tau tuatahi, hei whakapiki i te puritanga me te toiora o ngā tapuhi tau tuatahi. Ngā kupu matua te whati o te tuarā, ngā tapuhi tau tuatahi, te harikoa mō te tūranga mahi, te noho taurikura, te rangahau kounga, nga puritanga kāhui kaimahi, te taiao mahi