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The Dedicated Education Unit Experience: What's in It for Professional Development Nurses?
Rebecca Saxton1, Lynn Warmbrodt, Sue Mahley
1Rebecca Saxton, PhD, RN, CNE, is Professor and Director of Academic-Clinical Practice Partnerships, Research College of Nursing, Kansas City, Missouri. Lynn Warmbrodt, PsyD, RN, is Professor and Graduate Program Director, Research College of Nursing, Kansas City, Missouri. Sue Mahley, MN, RN, WHNP-BC, CNE, is Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Clinical and Faculty Resources, Research College of Nursing, Kansas City, Missouri. Darinda Reberry, MSN, RN, NE-BC, is Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer, Western Missouri Medical Center, Warrensburg, formerly of Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri. Pauline McNeece, RN, MSN, CCNS, is Director of Clinical Excellence, Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri.
Dedicated Education Units (DEU) help new nurses transition to practice. Students educated in this model showed better real-world nursing preparedness compared to peers not in the program.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Healthcare Workforce Development
Background:
- New graduate nurse turnover is a significant issue within the first year of practice.
- Staff development educators seek strategies to improve new graduate nurse transition to practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the experiences of nursing students and staff nurses within an inaugural Dedicated Education Unit (DEU).
- To evaluate the DEU model's impact on new graduate nurse preparedness.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study design.
- Exploration of student and staff nurse experiences in a DEU setting.
- Thematic analysis of qualitative data.
Main Results:
- Identified themes suggest DEU-educated students are better prepared for practice.
- The DEU model may positively influence the transition to practice for new nurses.
Conclusions:
- Dedicated Education Units (DEU) show promise as a strategy for enhancing new graduate nurse readiness.
- Further investigation into the DEU model's long-term impact on nurse retention and practice is warranted.
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