Impact of disease-specific orientation on new graduate nurse satisfaction and knowledge retention

Transition from student to novice nurse can be especially challenging, and a weak orientation can further complicate this difficult time for new graduate nurses. The neuroscience field is complex, and orientation can cause new nurses to lack a comprehensive understanding of their specialty, resulting in a task-focused approach to bedside care. Using a convenience sample and both qualitative and quantitative data, this study implements a disease-specific orientation track for new graduate nurses to spotlight the most common neurological diagnoses and disorders while concentrating on building an understanding of how to provide the best care possible to these patients. This article reports the outcomes achieved from the first phase of the study including improved clinical competence, readiness and retention of knowledge, overall satisfaction with orientation, and increased comfort level in caring for the neurological patient. In addition, the feedback and information gathered have provided a foundation for the project to be tailored and continued to further improve these results with future new graduate nurses on the neuroscience unit.