A model of new nurse transition

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education and Practice Transition
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• The transition from nursing student to registered nurse (RN) remains a persistent challenge, despite decades of interventions.
• Existing support programs often show a disconnect between nursing education institutions and healthcare employers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing research on new graduate nurse transition programs.
• To propose a novel, extended model for new nurse transition, spanning from nursing education through the first two years of practice.
• To highlight the gap between educational and employer-led transition efforts.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of research on programs facilitating new graduate nurse transition.
• Development of a proposed model illustrating the continuum of support.
• Analysis of the interface and potential detachment between academic and clinical environments.

Main Results:

• A significant detachment exists between the transition support offered by nursing schools and healthcare employers.
• Current transition programs may not adequately address the full spectrum of a new graduate's integration into practice.
• There is a need for integrated, longitudinal support strategies.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive, integrated model is needed for new nurse transition, starting in nursing school and extending two years into practice.
• Future research should focus on capturing all transition efforts and identifying critical program elements.
• Effective resource allocation by schools and employers requires evidence-based transition support strategies.