Evaluating New Graduate Nurse Readiness for Practice: Implications for Nursing Education

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Workforce Development
• Graduate Nurse Transition

Background:

• New graduate nurses (NGNs) frequently report feeling unprepared for professional practice.
• Collaboration between nurse educators and clinical partners is essential to bridge practice readiness gaps for novice nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the perceived practice readiness of NGNs upon hire.
• To pinpoint areas within the nursing curriculum requiring enhancement to better prepare graduates for practice.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed.
• The Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Surveys were utilized to gather data on NGN readiness.
• Data from 273 NGNs employed between 2021 and 2023 at a large academic hospital were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Over 75% of NGNs expressed confidence in communication, delegation, and patient care organization.
• Key challenges identified include a lack of confidence in providing end-of-life care.
• NGNs reported discomfort with independently managing critical care situations involving codes, ventilators, and chest tubes.

Conclusions:

• Nurse educators must emphasize clinical experiences to bolster NGN confidence.
• Reinforced training in end-of-life care and complex technical skills is recommended.
• Curriculum adjustments should focus on preparing NGNs for high-acuity patient care scenarios.