16/04/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 16/04/2024 20:15
The Vizient/American Association of Colleges Nursing (ACCN) Nurse Residency ProgramTM (NRP) is a 12-month program that guides newly licensed nurses through transitioning from a student to their professional role as a nurse. While gaining bedside skills in their care settings, nurses attend monthly seminars to increase their knowledge and proficiency and gain support during a difficult transition.
Program data collected at three critical times during the 12-month program reveals newly licensed nurses who leave their jobs in the first year report lower support and lower professional satisfaction. Nurse leaders are now wondering, "What does support look like to a new nurse who earned their license during a pandemic? What kind of professional satisfaction do they look for?"
In a recent focus group of newly licensed nurses, the Vizient/AACN NRP team uncovered themes that contribute to high levels of support and professional satisfaction, most notably providing stable transitions and creating a healthy work environment.
Stability is crucial to feeling supported. Even as early as the application process, understanding the role and what to expect during the first year can begin to form the foundation of support. When discussing the transition to practice, the group of nurses reflected on the rigid structure of nursing school preparation. Students follow step-by-step skills checklists, attend class on the same day every week, and interact with the same educators and peers. In practice, the inconsistent and dynamic nature of nursing leaves newly licensed nurses feeling unstable. When nurses have a foundation of support, it is easier to be flexible within the field of nursing.
While daily consistency is impossible, nurses identified these factors as contributing to a stable transition:
Transparency: Frequent, transparent conversations with leaders and mentors help new nurses manage expectations, understand challenging situations and participate in problem-solving. Establishing a pattern of open communication during stable times fosters open communication during challenging or uncertain times.
Consistent preceptorships: As seen in the NRP data, retention rates decrease with every new preceptor a newly licensed nurse trains with. Interviews with nurse residents validated these findings. When nurses have consistent preceptors, they can build upon their existing knowledge and skills instead of having to start over every few shifts. Consistency also fosters a trusting relationship with the preceptor, creating a safe environment for giving and receiving feedback.
Stick to the plan: The nurses discussed how the professional nursing practice looked different from what they expected. Additionally, many mentioned being told important information related to onboarding expectations and timelines only to find out the plan had later changed. Respecting agreed-upon timelines, parameters and opportunities builds trust. When new nurses understand their transition to practice plan, only to find out it has changed, they feel misled, which leads to distrust and disengagement. The nurses also acknowledged that not everything goes according to plan, but transparent communication helps them understand and be more flexible. These are a few areas commonly mentioned:
The group of nurses we spoke with during the focus group used many words to describe a healthy work environment, often mentioning psychological safety and a positive work environment. Examples included:
Nurses typically feel supported initially, but after their orientation period ends, many report that the check-ins dropped dramatically in favor of the next group of new graduates. When asked how they would like to be supported following the NRP these ideas were shared:
Surprisingly, very little was mentioned in the focus group about wages. Nurses noted that travel nursing was a lucrative endeavor, with the extra income providing more support and the challenge of working somewhere new increasing their professional satisfaction. Even so, many mentioned that if an organization were willing to invest in them by providing support and professional growth opportunities, they would, in turn, invest in the organization.
As a lead programmatic advisor for the Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program, Meg Ingram supports organizations in transitioning new graduate nurses to the profession of nursing as well as overseeing the program's curriculum. Prior to joining Vizient, she was a nurse residency program coordinator and is passionate about creating a supportive, collaborative program in which new graduates can learn and engage to improve patient outcomes, nursing leadership and evidence-based care.