Succession Planning: Creating A Case for Hiring New Graduates.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Workforce Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Healthcare institutions face challenges due to an aging nursing workforce and increasing patient acuity.
• There is a critical need for effective strategies to ensure competent nursing care delivery.
• Succession planning is essential for maintaining quality patient care and financial stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and key elements of a new graduate residency program at Swedish Medical Center (SMC).
• To evaluate the effectiveness of an unorthodox approach prioritizing new graduate hires.
• To highlight strategies for integrating novice nurses with expert knowledge for workforce succession.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a new graduate residency program with a focus on cohort hiring.
• Inclusion of monitoring progression to competence as a core program component.
• Integration of simulation alongside traditional 1:1 preceptor support.

Main Results:

• The program successfully integrated new graduates, leveraging expert knowledge from retiring nurses.
• Cohort hiring, competence monitoring, and simulation enhanced the traditional preceptor model.
• The approach demonstrated potential for positive financial and patient care quality outcomes.

Conclusions:

• SMC's new graduate residency program offers a successful model for workforce succession planning.
• Prioritizing new graduates allows for shaping professional practice and values.
• The program's innovative elements contribute to both financial health and high-quality patient care.