The Great Transition: From Student to Nurse PractitionerINTRODUCTIONThe start of a new career as a registered nurse rarely starts easily, there seems to be a distinct disconnect between the fantasy of what it means to be a nurse and the reality of bedside nursing. Nursing school appears to fuel this disconnect, as it does not prepare new graduate nurses (NGRNs) for their professional practice. What the nursing school does is give the NGRN the foundation, a preview of what is to come. The NGRN must discover for themselves what the true meaning of nursing is and whether it fits their preconceived notions. After finishing school and passing the NCLEX, the NGRN has the daunting task of finding a place to begin their new career. This is a decision that should not be taken lightly, studies have shown that many NGRNs change workplaces or decide to leave nursing altogether within their first year of employment, in a proportion ranging from 33 to 61%. (Duchscher, 2009) NGRN have difficulties in many areas when it comes to this big transition, they tend to have significant difficulties because of the fear of failure and the new enormous amount of responsibilities that support patient care. (Marrow, 2009) Other issues that NGRNs face are those regarding their own performance anxiety, ethical dilemmas, disillusionment, and discouragement. (Duchscher, 2009) Research has found that some institutions have found ways to navigate this turmoil and maintain adequate retention of new graduates. PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to expose the reader to the perils to which previous new graduate nurses have succumbed. Learning from those who came before us has always been the best way to avoid the same difficulties. Many specific problems have plagued... middle of article ......Spence Laschinger, HK, Finegan, J., & Wilk, P. (2009, November-December). New graduate burnout: The impact of professional practice environment, workplace civility, and empowerment. NURSING ECONOMIC$, 27(6), 377-383. Strauss, M. (May 1, 2009). Easing the transition: a successful new graduate program. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 40(5), 216-220. Thomas, CM (April 10, 2010). Teaching nursing students and newly licensed nurses strategies for dealing with violent behavior in the professional practice environment. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(7), 299-308. Ulrich, B., Krozek, C., Early, S., Hipps Ashlock, C., Marquez Africa, L. and Carman, ML (2010, November-December). Improving retention, confidence, and competence of new graduate nurses: results from a 10-year longitudinal database. ECONOMIC OF NURSING CARE$, 28(6), 363-375.