Background. The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on new nurses'transition to the staff nurse role in hospital settings. New staff nurses were not prepared to care for COVID-19 patients based on their previous nursing education. Method. A qualitative descriptive design with purposive sampling was used for this study. Twenty-nine new nurses were recruited. They were interviewed using a semi-structured guide to elicit data that were coded and analyzed using content analysis. Results. Five themes were identified: "You might have to risk your own life to save others," "I wish I had developed a thicker skin," "There is real world and there is nursing school,""Learning how to handle your own mental health," and "What I would tell them." Conclusion. New nurses described their preparedness from baccalaureate education to clinical practice as insufficient in certain areas that were needed in the care of COVID-19 patients. Nurse educators who teach in pre-licensure and hospital orientation programs can revise or expand on the themes voiced by new nurses in order to improve their transition to the staff nurse role.
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