Abstract
Introduction: Newly graduated labor and delivery nurses encounter clinical challengesand high stakes, emotionally charged situations on a regular basis. Traditional
prelicensure nursing education primarily focuses on clinical skills and knowledge but
may not adequately prepare students for the full range of emotions experienced in
practice. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of newly graduated labor
and delivery nurses regarding the effectiveness of their undergraduate nursing program
curriculum in fostering emotional intelligence and readiness for practice-related
emotions.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design was used. Participants included 12registered nurses employed in labor and delivery settings with 18 months or less of
experience. Participants completed semi-structured interviews on a virtual platform. The
data was analyzed using deductive coding and thematic analysis to identify specific
patterns and themes that emerged related to emotional intelligence, transition-to-practice,
and perceived curricular gaps in current training programs.
Results: Participants reported feeling more clinically prepared to enter labor and deliverypractice than emotionally prepared. Notably, participants expressed feelings of heavy
responsibility, fear of being judged, and a sense of being ill-prepared to manage adverse
events, grief, and difficult patient outcomes. While participants identified self-awareness,
emotional regulation, effective communication, and reflective practice as key skills. They
described these competencies were typically developed in the workplace rather than
being explicitly taught in nursing education.
Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest a deficiency in current prelicensure nursingeducation regarding emotional intelligence and emotional readiness for specialty practice.
Incorporating opportunities for reflective learning, emotionally focused debriefing, and
instruction in grief communication could enhance readiness-to-practice for transition
among novice nurses in the labor and delivery setting.
Keywords: Emotional intelligence, emotional readiness, transition to practice,
newly graduated nurses, labor and delivery nursing