Transition Into Practice: Outcomes of a Nurse Residency Program

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Workforce Development
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Nurse residency programs (NRPs) are designed to support new graduate nurses' transition into practice.
• Existing research suggests NRP benefits, but comparative studies with control groups are limited.
• This study addresses the need to evaluate NRP effectiveness against standard orientation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the transition into practice success of nurses in an NRP versus a traditional orientation program.
• To assess the impact of an NRP on nurse readiness, retention, and job satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 106 newly employed graduate nurses.
• Participants were assigned to either a nurse residency intervention group or a standard nursing orientation control group.
• Outcomes were measured using the Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice survey, nurse retention metrics, and job satisfaction surveys.

Main Results:

• Nurses in the NRP demonstrated significantly improved readiness for practice.
• Nurse residents reported higher perceptions of retention, indicating a greater likelihood of remaining with the organization.
• A marked improvement in 1- and 2-year nurse retention rates was observed over the study period.

Conclusions:

• The nurse residency program proved superior to standard orientation in enhancing nurse readiness for practice.
• NRPs positively impact nurse retention rates and contribute to higher job satisfaction among new graduate nurses.
• Implementing NRPs is recommended for improving the early career experience and retention of nurses.