Implementation of a Mentorship Program to Reduce New Graduate Nurse (NGN) Turnover

Objective: To implement an evidence-based mentorship program to improve new graduate registered nurse (NGN) retention. Background: About 17% of NGN leave within the first year of employment. The average turnover cost for a registered nurse (RN) in the United States is $46,131. A significant opportunity exists for healthcare organizations to protect the investment of NGNs. Methods: A 3-month mentorship program for NGNs was implemented at a Magnet-designated Midwest community-based healthcare center about 11 weeks after hire. Twenty matched pairs participated in the inaugural program guided by the American Medical Surgical Nurses Mentorship Program. Mentors volunteered, and mentees were selected based on the hire date from a subset of the incoming pool of NGN. Results: Participant characteristics show that 90% of the mentors and 85% of the mentees were female. Demographic data revealed average age (mentors 43.1 years versus mentees 24.9 years), degrees (mentors 65% with master's degree versus mentee 100% with bachelor's degrees), and years in nursing (mentors 60% greater than 11 years and mentees 100% less than one year). Post implementation, 100% of the mentees (N = 20) remained employed. Mentee confidence from baseline to 3 months post-implementation showed a slight increase. Mentee intent to stay and job satisfaction scores post-implementation were moderately high, with 35% and 40% responding, respectively. The average program satisfaction score for both groups was 69.5%, with 35% of the mentees and 95% of the mentors responding. Conclusion: Implementation of a mentorship program is cost-effective and can impact NGN retention and turnover.A five-year embargo was granted for this item