According to these young nurses stories, thework content
of nursing was demanding, and the nursing practice environment
was not ideal in terms of nurse-patient ratios, rush, shift
hours, and general appreciation. Nurses felt tired because
they could not provide as adequate nursing care as theywere
willing. Nurses’ narratives bought up ethical dilemmas associatedwithnot
being able toprovidehumane andproper care.
Not being able to do one’s best and not being able to influence
working conditions were in contradiction with the talent
and ambitions of these young women. Similar themes came
up in McGillis Hall and Kiesners [71] study, where nurses
related narratives about guilt and over commitment when the
working environment prevented them from providing complete
and high-quality care. We believe that narrative stories
can provide “a window into people’s beliefs and experience”
[72, page 209] and can provide richer understanding of how
young nurses experienced the reality of nursing and how
these lived experiences affected their career decisions