Strategies to Develop a New Nurse Residency Program

The ongoing shortage of registered nurses is a nationwide phenomenon. Many factors contribute to the dissatisfaction and stress of new graduate nurses during the initial transition phase of their career. The lack of peer and leadership support is among the many factors that lead to constant turnover. New nurses entering the workforce are caring for patients with more complex health problems. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has developed standards for accreditation of entry-to-practice nurse residency programs (NRP). The purpose of this DNP project was to propose a formal evidenced-based nurse residency program to the stakeholders of an acute care hospital based on the CCNE standards. The Iowa model of evidenced-based practice was used to outline this formal residency program, and Benner\u27s novice to expert theory guided its development. Eight organizational stakeholders participated in the presentation of the proposal for the evidenced-based nurse residency program. A questionnaire based on the standards for accreditation of entry-to-practice nurse residency programs was used for evaluation. The majority of respondents indicated that the standards presented in the presentation were consistent with the requirements of accredited NRPs. For the three primary categories, program faculty, institutional commitment and resources, and management of patient care delivery, 89% of participants indicated an excellent rating on a four-point scale on the questionnaire. The proposed education, once implemented, could result in social change by ultimately improving work satisfaction, improved retention, improved quality of care, and ultimately improved patient health outcomes