The Effectiveness of Nurse Residency Programs on Retention Essay
Karen Grissom
Group 2 Main Question Post
COLLAPSE
Recommendation Selected:
Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training (IOM, 2010).
Summary of Proposal:
While this recommendation is primarily focused on privileges and regulations for advanced practiced nurses, it also addresses the expansion of transition-to-practice nurse residency programs to help mitigate high turnover rates among new nurses. Aldosari et al. (2021) reports that almost 20% of new nurses leave the profession by the end of their first year. Similarly, Asber (2019) asserts that first year turnover rates are higher for new nurses than for any other nursing group. The Effectiveness of Nurse Residency Programs on Retention Essay
Nurse residency programs (NRP) have gained traction in acute care settings but have not been widely implemented in specialty areas or community settings as recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Many of the acute care residency programs have reported some success and are considered beneficial to both the new nurse and the facility. Cochran (2017) states NRP have improved retention rates and cut down on contract labor use and costs. In contrast, Ackerson and Stiles (2018) assert that 12-month NRP have no effect on two-year retention rates and will not help mitigate the nursing shortage. Researchers agree that variability in the structure, length, content, and format of NRP is likely responsible for the fluctuating degrees of program success (Ackerman & Stiles, 2018; Asber, 2019; Chant & Westendorf, 2019; Cochran, 2017; Van Camp & Chappy, 2017). The Effectiveness of Nurse Residency Programs on Retention Essay
Despite inconsistent improvement with nurse retention, NRP have proven beneficial in other ways, including improvements in critical thinking, confidence, communication skills, and prioritization skills (Cochran, 2017; Van Camp & Chappy, 2017). These benefits alone may be enough to continue NRP and the IOMs recommendation to expand them to areas of specialty practice and community settings is solid. However, the high-volume of studies on NRP that suggest standardization is needed should not be ignored. Identifying best practices for transition-to-practice programs may be a wise precursor to wide-spread expansion. The Effectiveness of Nurse Residency Programs on Retention Essay
The American Association of Colleges of Nurses (AACN) and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) actively support NRP. Both organizations have created NRP outlines and models (Van Camp & Chappy, 2017). The AACN is also involved with promoting and these programs and provides a marketing toolkit for schools, a newsletter for nurse residents, and return on investment worksheets for facilities (AACN, 2022). The Effectiveness of Nurse Residency Programs on Retention Essay
References
Ackerson, K., & Stiles, K. A. (2018). Value of nurse residency programs in retaining new graduate nurses and their potential effect on the nursing shortage. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 49(6), 282-314. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20180517-09
Aldosari, N., Pryjmachuk, S., & Cooke, H. (2021). Newly qualified nurses’ transition from learning to doing: A scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 113, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103792
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2022). Vizient/AACN nurse residency program. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Nurse-Residency-Program The Effectiveness of Nurse Residency Programs on Retention Essay
Asber, S. R. (2019). Retention outcomes of new graduate nurse residency programs: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(9), 430-435. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000780
Chant, K. J., & Westendorf, D. S. (2019). Nurse residency programs: Key components for sustainability. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 35(4), 185-192. https://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000560
Cochran, C. (2017). Effectiveness and best practice of nurse residency programs: A literature review. MEDSURG Nursing, 26(1), 53-63.
Institute of Medicine. (2010). Report brief: The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/12956/Future-of-Nursing-2010-Report-Brief.pdf
Van Camp, J., & Chappy, S. (2017). The effectiveness of nurse residency programs on retention: A systematic review. AORN Journal, 106(2), 128-144. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2017.06.003 The Effectiveness of Nurse Residency Programs on Retention Essay