The purpose of this study was to understand the narrative of newly employed nurses facing work stress. Our purposive sample consisted of 54 new nurses in a Kaohsiung teaching hospital. Data from seven focus groups meetings were analyzed by content analysis. Results revealed two themes: firstly, flooding stress included complicated interpersonal interactions, heavy duties and responsibilities, role transitional difficulties, and emotional restraint. Secondly, looking for outlet, which included giving oneself the power to move on, doing with uncertainty and drowning in stress turbulence. The two themes interwove and showed new nurses' work stress to be part of an acclimation process. The study results increased our understanding about work stress in new nurses and provided information for policy making, nursing education, practice and research.