(UN) PREPARATION FOR PROFESSIONAL ACTION AFTER GRADUATION IN NURSING

Abstract

The transition from academia to professional practice is challenging, exposing difficulties in workforce integration and a lack of preparedness to meet the demands of the profession. Objective: To identify the reasons cited by nurses to explain their lack of preparation for professional practice. Methodology: This exploratory qualitative study included nurses registered in the Cofen/Coren system in Paraná State who completed an online questionnaire about their perceived unpreparedness for practice following graduation. Data were organized into codes and word clouds using NVivo software, and emerging themes were analyzed based on Minayo’s thematic analysis framework. Results: Among the 1,550 respondents, 188 nurses reported feeling unprepared for professional practice after graduation due to several factors, including limited opportunities for practical learning, lack of in-depth knowledge, short internship periods, unqualified teachers, inadequate infrastructure, ineffective teaching methodologies, a gap between education and professional reality, post-graduation on-the-job learning, poor integration of theory and practice, insufficient laboratory preparation, unclear understanding of the nurse's role, unsupervised practical activities, and lack of research experience. Conclusion: Identifying the reasons behind the lack of preparation for professional practice can contribute to improving education quality and preparing professionals capable of effectively engaging in the workforce and delivering healthcare services to the community.