Work unit transformation to welcome new graduate nurses: using nurses' wisdom

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• New graduate nurses (NGRNs) face significant challenges during their initial 3-12 months of employment.
• The transition period profoundly impacts NGRN career longevity and job satisfaction.
• Existing recruitment and retention strategies often fall short for NGRNs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a dedicated transition unit for nurses.
• To address onboarding and practice environment issues for new graduate nurses.
• To improve the attraction and retention of both newly graduated and experienced Registered Nurses (RNs) in an active inpatient setting.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a theory-driven approach to unit design and implementation.
• Focused on enhancing employee onboarding processes.
• Addressed critical aspects of the practice environment to support nurses.

Main Results:

• The transition unit model positively impacted the work environment for nurses.
• Demonstrated an improved approach to attracting and retaining both new graduate and experienced RNs.
• Provided a framework for addressing common challenges faced by NGRNs.

Conclusions:

• Dedicated transition units are effective in supporting new graduate nurses.
• Theory-driven approaches can successfully improve nurse onboarding and retention.
• Implications exist for healthcare administrators seeking to enhance hospital nursing work environments.