Evolution of Postpandemic Nurse Orientation Through an Academic-Practice Partnership

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Management
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Postpandemic challenges necessitate innovative approaches to nurse onboarding.
• Existing orientation programs require enhancement to meet evolving healthcare demands.
• Academic-practice partnerships offer a collaborative model for addressing workforce issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To redesign the postpandemic orientation process for newly hired nurses.
• To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of nurse onboarding.
• To improve readiness for unit-specific orientation and overall stakeholder satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Formed an academic-practice partnership to guide the redesign process.
• Conducted needs assessments to identify key areas for improvement.
• Utilized the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) framework for project development.

Main Results:

• The redesigned orientation program aimed to increase efficiency.
• Enhanced nurse readiness for specialized unit-based training was a key objective.
• Improved stakeholder satisfaction was a primary outcome of the redesign efforts.

Conclusions:

• Successful academic-practice partnerships are crucial for addressing nursing workforce challenges.
• Strategic redesign of orientation programs can improve nurse integration and retention.
• Collaboration between academia and practice is vital for postpandemic healthcare resilience.