Newly licensed registered nurses' perceptions of job difficulties, demands and control: individual and organizational predictors.

AIMS: To determine predictors of newly licensed registered nurses' perceptions of job difficulties, job demands and job control.
BACKGROUND: In previous studies, new registered nurses describe their work environment as stressful, yet little is known about factors that influence these experiences.
METHODS: We surveyed a random sample of newly licensed registered nurses in Florida. Dependent variables included indicators of job difficulty, job demand and job control. Independent variables included individual and organizational characteristics hypothesized to be related to the dependent variables. Logistic and ordinary least squares regressions were used to analyse survey data.
RESULTS: Inadequate orientation, working the day shift, working a greater number of hours and caring for a higher number of patients were significantly related to a greater likelihood of perceptions of job difficulty and job demand. Less adequate orientation and a greater number of float shifts were related to a lower likelihood of perceptions of job control. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Adequacy of orientation, patient load, work hours, shift work and floating are priority items that need improvement in the work environment of newly licensed registered nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The present study identified factors involved with newly licensed registered nurses' perceptions of job difficulties, job demands and job control which will help managers redesign work settings to retain new nurses.